Materia Findings
by Xyphate
Summary: Zack gets back from a mission and has a new materia. What does it do? Let's find out! Cloud/Zack should be Shounen-ai later on
1. Day 1

**Pairings:** Zack/Cloud

**Summary:** Zack gets back from a mission and has a new materia.

"Spiky I'm back!" Zack called as he walked through the front door to the SOLDIER apartment.

Cloud was sitting on the couch reading a book when he looked up.

"You don't have to yell every time you come home." Cloud said with a small smile.

"Yeah I know, I just want to make sure you know," Zack said with his normal smile plastered to his face. "Oh hey check out what I found while I was on the mission."

Cloud closed his book and sat it down next to him on the couch. Zack was digging around in his bag looking for previously said item. Once he found it Cloud squinted and noticed that it was something similar to a materia.

"Is it materia?" Cloud questioned.

"That's what I thought but look," Zack walked over and sat down on the floor in front of Cloud. "This materia is too light of a green to be magic materia."

"Then what is it? Is it another marble?" Cloud chuckled to himself as he recalled Zack's materia mix up.

"Aw Cloudy you're so mean. Besides that was my summon Cloud matteria." Zack answered with a fake pout on his face, rolling the small ball in the palm of his hand.

At that moment the materia started to glow and grow a bit warm.

"Hmm?" Zack hummed, as he stopped rolling the ball to look closer at it.

Just then the ball shot off a bright light that momentarily blinded Zack. He could here Cloud gasp behind him.

"Wow!" said yelled tossing the ball away in shock.

After the light had disappeared Zack blinked a couple of times to try and see straight. Zack looked his body over.

"That was weird huh Spiky? What do ya think it did? Maybe everlasting life!" Zack waited for an answer while still inspecting his body until he heard a noise behind him that sounded like a small whimper.

Zack turned around to see what had Cloud making such a weird noise. When he did what Zack saw was not the Cloud he was looking for.

"Ahh! Kid, child, Cloud, baby! Ahh!" Zack yelled in shock point a finger at the baby now lying in the spot in which Cloud had just been sitting in.

The baby had blonde hair that spiked up all over his head and beautiful sapphire colored eyes. He lay their sucking his thumb looking straight into Zack's mako infused eyes.

Zack stared at the baby until it stuck its arms up at him wanting to be held.

"Uh you want me to hold you?" Zack questioned it.

The baby just laid there with its arms extended making little whimpering noises.

"Ok, ok don't cry." Zack begged, walking over to the baby and picking him up.

"Are you, Cloud?" Zack asked. "You gotta be. I mean you were laying right were he was sitting, you have his soft blonde hair and beautiful eyes. Wait, did I just say…? Well anyone would say your eyes beautiful right? I mean they are, right?"

Cloud just lay in Zack's arms sucking his thumb looking up at him.

"Aw you're so cute!" Zack said snuggling Cloud's hair.

Cloud made a squeal of laughter and started reaching for Zack's one strand of hair hanging in his face.

Zack, having never been around babies due to being an only child, didn't know what Cloud was going to do.

Cloud grabbed the strand of hair and began to feel it between his fingers.

"You like my hair?"

Cloud looked up and smiled big at Zack.

"Aw you never would have done that before!" Zack cooed snuggling Cloud's head again.

"Alright focus! What to do, what to do. Ok first to Seph's office. Maybe he can help us." Zack said looking around the room.

"But before that I need something to wrap you up in…" Zack walked over to the closet and pulled out a pillow case.

"This'll have to do for now." Zack closed the closet and walked back over to the couch, Cloud and pillow case in hand. Zack sat Cloud down on the couch and stared at him for a moment.

Cloud was sucking on the pillow case. When Zack went to take it away Cloud got mad and began to cry.

"Ok, ok um hold on a second." Zack made quick work of taking the pillow case away and wrapping it around Cloud. Once Cloud was fully wrapped up, Zack pulled a piece of the fabric up to Cloud's mouth and showed it to him.

"See you can suck on this part now and still be warm." Cloud took the fabric and began sucking on it as soon as he saw that it was there.

"Yeah, alright I think I can do this." Zack commented putting his hands on his hips and looking at the wall as if it were to give him an award.

Cloud looked up from his pillow case sucking and started making noises and waving his little hand around to try and get Zack's attention.

When Zack looked down he saw Cloud's gestures and remembered the task at hand.

"Oh right! Geez Cloudy I bet your thinking your thinking I have a really short attention span huh?" Zack said, picking up Cloud and heading out the door.

As Zack was walking down the hall he received multiple weird glances, questions, and greetings being cut of by the sight of a baby on Shin-Ra grounds.

"Hey Zack what's going- Zack what is that!?" questioned Kunsel once he saw Zack running through the halls with a baby in his hands.

"Sorry Kunsel no time now!" Zack practically yelled as he ran past him.

Kunsel just starred after him.

"Man Zack is in for it this time. Wonder where Cloud is. He's normally with…. No that wasn't…. It wasn't right?" Kunsel said to him self, shaking his head.

As Kunsel turned to walk down the hall he saw all the SOLDIERs standing in shock at what had just happened.

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Once Zack reached Sephiroth's office he slammed open the door ignoring the stare Sepheroth's assistant was giving him.

"Seph help!" Zack yelled, running to Sephiroth's desk.

Sephiroth looked up from his paper work calmly and looked into the face of an almost out of breath Zack Fair.

"Zackary, why are you carrying a baby?" Sephiroth questioned in his mono tone voice.

"No he's not a baby! I mean he is now but he wasn't! I mean he was born as one but he isn't now! No I mean he is now! He was, is, I mean he's-"

"Zackary, calm down and tell me what happened. I know I am going to regret it however." Sephiroth interrupted, keeping calm the entire time.

Zack told Sephiroth the whole story of how cute teenage Cloud was turned into cute baby Cloud, pausing to tell him all the cute baby things Cloud did before they made it to his office.

"Zackary listen to me," Zack nodded as to continue. "Go back and get the materia and bring it back here. Take him with you." Sephiroth said with the flick of his wrist.

"But Seph if I take him back through the halls everyone is gonna get freaked out again! Can't I leave him here with you?"

Once Zack spoke those words Cloud stopped staring at Zack and started to flail around making whining noises. He most definitely didn't want to be left there alone with 'The Great Sephiroth' as a baby. He could accidently sit on him or kick him across the room! Just because he was a baby didn't mean he didn't think the same as he did before. Sure some things were out of his control, such as sucking on the pillow case. He had to admit though showing his affection for Zack was nice instead of having it bottled up.

"See Zackary even Strife doesn't want you to leave him."

"Well of course not you were mean to him!" Zack said cuddling Cloud's head once more. This time however Cloud cuddled back.

"Zackary go get the materia." Sephiroth said again.

With the nod of his head and baby Cloud still held tight in his grasp he headed out the door.

Once Zack made it to the elevator he took out his phone and sent Kunsel an e-mail.

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Kunsel was sitting in a chair looking out a window over looking Midgar when his phone went off.

When Kunsel opened his phone he noticed he had gotten a text from Zack.

**New Message from Zackary Fair:**

**Kunsel! Remember that baby I was carrying? Well I need you to watch him for a couple of minutes! Please dude! I'm in serious shit and I need help! Where you at?**

"Great. I could just tell him no but he seems dispirit." Kunsel said to himself.

Kunsel sent a peply telling Zack where he was and that he better explain him self soon.

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Zack ran to the location Kunsel state he was at.

"Kunsel! Kunsel Kunsel! Thank you so much! Here just hold him for a second or minute or something!" Zack said handing Cloud over then running off.

"Hey wait! Zack! Tell me what's going on!" Kunsel yelled after him.

Kunsel looked down at the baby in his arms.

"I guess we could go back to my place for now." Kunsel started, walking away from the sitting area.

On his way back to his room he received weird glances and stares.

"Now I know how Zack felt when he Was walking through here. Well more like running." Kunsel said more to himself than to Cloud.

Cloud giggled at the statement and then lost his train of thought when he realized he was with _Kunsel_.

_I can't believe I didn't notice this earlier! I must have been caught up in the moment. I'm with Kunsel and I've always wondered what his face looks like. Now's my chance! When we get back to his apartment I'll-!_

Cloud's thoughts were cut short when he and Kunsel arrived at the apartment.

Kunsel unlocked the door, stepped inside, closed the door, and sat on the floor with Cloud in front of him.

Cloud sat with no expression on his face.

_Now is my chance to get that helmet off. _Cloud thought while crawling over to Kunsel.

"Hey uh what's your name?" Kunsel asked with a small smile.

Cloud didn't answer, just continued to crawl.

"Hey what're you doing?" Kunsel asked in surprise, as Cloud crawled into his lap.

Cloud looked up at Kunsel for a few seconds then out of no where started hitting Kunsel on the head as hard as he could.

"Ow ow! Hey stop it!" Kunsel pleaded, pulling Cloud away from his helmet. Kunsel rubbed the top of his helmet hoping it would soth the pain without him having to take it off.

_How could still have his helmet on!? I hit it with everything I had! Geez my hand hurts now! What're those things made out of?_ Cloud thought to himself.

_I need to find another way. _Cloud thought looking around the room. _I got it! If I run around enough and cause enough havoc then he's sure to get worn out and then he'll take off his helmet! It's a fool proof plan! Even Zack couldn't mess this one up!_

After Cloud thought his plan through fully, he got into his crawling position and crawled like there was no tomorrow.

"Hey where're you going now? Wait up!" Kunsel called, getting up from his spot on the floor.

Each time Kunsel got close to Cloud, Cloud would either speed up or maneuver away from him.

"Man you've got to be kidding me!" Kunsel yelled, throwing his arms above his head.

Cloud on the other hand was watching around a corner, thinking of something he could knock off without breaking it.

_Wait, doesn't Shin-Ra pay for the things SOLDIERS break? So if I break something either way it'll be all right. Right?_

"Ok Cloud let's just calm down and maybe we can-" Kunsel was cut off short by see Cloud sitting onto of the counter with a coffee cup above his head.

"Cloud, don't throw that! N-no, no! Cloud don't!" Kunsel made a dive bomb to the floor when Cloud through the mug on the ground. When Kunsel caught the mug he exhaled his held breath and sat the mug back on the counter.

"How did he even get up there?"

_With the handles on the draws dumbass! You can't possibly tell me that you didn't do that when you were a kid._ Cloud thought to himself. _Let's see what else can I break? _Cloud looked around the room and spotted a picture of him and Zack when they first joined Shin-Ra.

_That looks like it holds some meaning. Is it right to destroy something like that just for my own selfish-_

"Cloud, where did you go now?" Kunsel called from the kitchen.

Cloud bolted for the desk on which the picture frame was sitting on. There was a slight problem though; the desk was too high up for him. He had a heck of a time trying to get up on the counter due to his lack of leg strength.

During Cloud's thought process, Kunsel was quietly sneaking up on him. Once Kunsel was close enough he grabbed Cloud from behind which resulted in a flailing baby being held in the arms of a 'not so familiar with babies person'.

"Hey calm down now! It's ok!" Kunsel attempted, attempted being the keyword here, to calm Cloud down. Cloud didn't really care about calming down at this point. He was on a roll, so he thought.

Due to Cloud's goal of 'Get Kunsel to take off his helmet' he had to figure out a way to get Kunsel to put him down. The first thing that came to mind was to kick and flail like he did when Zack would hug him, however; It was clear as rain as that was not working. Cloud's second thought was quickly put into action. Plan B was to bite. Once that happened Cloud was surprised at how loud Kunsel could yell.

"OW! Come on Cloud I thought we were friends!" Kunsel exclaimed sitting Cloud on the floor and examining his finger.

"Man I think I'm bleeding. How many teeth you got?" Kunsel questioned getting close to Cloud's mouth.

"Go 'Ahhh'." Kunsel explained opening his mouth as an example.

Cloud just sat in front of him with a 'you look like a complete moron' look on his face. Either way Cloud complied by opening his mouth to show Kunsel how many teeth he had. From the feel of the bite it felt like he had one.

"Hmm, one tooth. Still that hurt like hell."

The smile Cloud gave him was a look of 'part five of my mission was a success and I plan on biting you as many times as I must to get what I want'. This wasn't to far from the truth.

Kunsel knew Zack had a soft spot for Cloud but he had had enough of this. Kunsel sent Zack an e-mail on his phone and went back to watching Cloud. When Kunsel turned around he wasn't too shocked to what he **didn't** see.

"Oh man. I knew I shouldn't have taken my eyes off of him."

Cloud had taken off while Kunsel was sending Zack the e-mail.

_Geez you would've thought that- WOW A DOOR!_ Cloud cut his own thought of with a second more random thought. Cloud stopped crawling for a second and looked around.

_Did I just get distracted by a door? Geez that seems like something Zack would do._ Cloud thought to himself. _Anyways, back to my door. _Cloud crawled over to the door witch was slightly open. Cloud pulled opened the door the rest of the way by putting his hand in the small crack that was already opened.

_A closet… Well let's look through it!_ Cloud was sure that he would find something worth breaking in the closet. What he did find was beyond what his wondering mind was expecting.

_Zack?_ In side Kunsel's closet was a Zack Fair Soldier 1st Class plush.

_I'm not sure weather to be happy or totally freaked out. _Cloud thought. But for some reason he felt really sad and wanted to be by Zack. Cloud grabbed the Zack plush and sat in the hall looking at it with adoring eyes.

Kunsel found Cloud sitting in the hallway holding the Zack Fair plush he had found just that day while out and about.

"You like it?" Kunsel questioned Cloud. Cloud looked up at Kunsel then back at the plush and smiled. "Why don't go into the living room and play with it?" Kunsel suggested hopefully. Cloud looked up again and nodded.

Kunsel took Cloud into the living room and set him down in the middle of the room. Cloud was clutching onto the Zack plush, taking in every detail.

_Wow they even got his cocky smile right._ Cloud thought looking at the doll._ His eyes are perfect too._

Kunsel sat in front of Cloud on the floor watching him.

_Geez the kid really likes him. Man it's hot._ Kunsel thought to himself. Kunsel took of his helmet revealing Kunsel's orangey-red hair and soft features.

_I miss- Hey Kunsel took his helmet off!_ Cloud thought to himself. _I wonder if Zack has ever seen Kunsel without his helmet._

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Zack was with Sephiroth in the science department waiting for an analysis on the strange material he found when his phone went of, signaling that he had a new e-mail.

**New message from: Kunsel Tilling**

**Zack, hurry up with what ever you're doing. Cloud seems to be a little depressed. I think he misses you.**

"Aww!" Zack yelled after reading the message. "Hey Sephy! Baby Chocobo misses me!" Zack shoved his phone in Sephiroth's face as if his words weren't enough reassurance.

"Can I go see him? Please with ice cream and a cherry and some sprinkles!? No potions though! Those are nasty!"

Sephiroth stared at Zack with his blank expression for a moment to see what he would do next. Sephiroth was secretly amazed at how short of an attention span Zack could have.

"What were we talking about…? Ahh my Baby Chocobo! Can I go see him please Seph!" Zack pleaded, using his award winning puppy eyes.

"Go get your precious chocobo and stay at you're apartment till I get the results back on the materia."

"Well I was thinking I was just gonna stay over at Kunsel's."

"Do as you please Zackary; I just need to know where you will be."

"Alrighty! I'll be at Kunsel's!" Yelled Zack as he ran down the

hall.

"I get to see my little Chocobo! I wonder how he was for-!" Zack was interrupted by a door straight to his face.

"Ah. Hello Zackary." Genesis said, looking up from his Loveless book to look behind the door at said SOLDIER lying on the floor holding his face.

"OUCH! Geez Genny that hurt! Wait, Zackary? " Zack questioned, totally forgetting about his face. "Come on Genny not you too! My name is Zack!"

"Not according to your record. Your name is Zackary Fair." Genesis pointed out, going back to reading his book.

"Oh come on Genny! Call me Zack, please!" Zack begged, still sitting on the floor, giving his ever so famous puppy dog eyes.

"Fine Zackary, only if you stop calling me Genny." Genesis bargained.

"Fine, alright." Zack said getting to his feet.

"Where were you headed at such a speed?" Genesis asked.

"I was going to… Cloud!" Zack cut his and Genesis' visit short and took off down the hall. "Sorry Gen I have to go take care of something!"

Zack ran down the halls, maneuvering around SOLDIERS, Infantryman and even his mentor, Angeal. Zack was still receiving weird glances, questions as to where he was going, and even one that asked if he was busy later.

Once Zack mad his way to Kunsel's apartment he quickly nocked on the door and waited for an answer. On the other side you could hear movement and the door unlocking.

"Thank god you're here Zack!" Kunsel exclaimed, pulling Zack in by his shirt.

"Damn Kunsel what happened in here?" Zack asked, looking around the room then back at Kunsel.

"Cloud is what happened." Kunsel replied.

"Cloud my precious!" Zack exclaimed running across the room and cuddling his ever so beloved baby. "Hey Kunsel you're helmet's off."

"God your slow, Zack!"

"But I ran here as fast as I could."

Kunsel stood in his spot looking at Zack in disbelief. Zack really was too worried about his Little Chocobo to focus on anything more. After all, a lot happened in such a short time. Zack just wanted to make sure that his best friend wasn;t going to be stuck as a baby forever. Cloud seemed to being fine from Zack's point of view.

"Hey what's this?" Zack asked picking up the Zack Fair plush. "Why do you have it? Where did you get it?"

"Don't think of it like that!" Kunsel yelled. "When I was out earlier I saw it in a window at a store and thought you might find it cool. I mean it is you and you're a little self-"

"Dude this is too cool!" Zack exclaimed, cutting Kunsel off short.

"You just proved my point." Kunsel said giving Zack a 'You're a complete moron look'.

"Geez I get a lot of those looks you know!"

"Well, will you tell me what's going on?"

"Yeah, I owe you anyways." Zack explained everything that happened in his serious tone. This told anyone who was listening that what ever happened was something that was very important to Zack. This tone was normally only used for Shin-Ra matters but, some things outside of Shin-Ra are important to.

"I see." Kunsel said after Zack finished his story. Kunsel looked over at Cloud who was asleep in Zack's lap, snuggled up against his stomach. "Why don't you guys stay here for the night? It's almost ten."

"Really, I can just carry him back he only weighs like 7 pounds."

"No," Kunsel said shaking his head. "You guys can stay in the guest room. You're not going to squish him in your sleep are you?"

Zack smiled at the small joke.

"No don't worry." Zack got up carefully and walked into Kunsel's guest bedroom.

In the guest room there was a bed pushed to the left wall, a desk with a computer on it on the back wall and the f=door was located on the right wall in front the wall.

The bed was a twin size with black sheets, a black pillow case, and a black blanket. It was the original sheets that Shin-Ra had supplied to the Second Class SOLDIERS. Since they were already there and Kunsel never really had anyone over except his girlfriend. Of course he never admitted to have her as his girlfriend but Zack always joked to him about it.

Zack walked over to the bed and laid Cloud down on the right side against the wall. He then carefully laid down next to Cloud while pulling the covers carefully over the two of them.

"Don't worry Cloud we'll have you back at your right age in no time." Zack said, running his fingers through soft blonde hair.

Zack spent the rest of his time a wake thinking of how he could help his favorite blonde. It didn't take to long after words to be over come by sleep.

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**Author's note**

Ok so this is like my first time writing a fan fiction. I just want to say that during my 8th grade year I spent most of my time acting like Cloud and pretending Zack was really there…O_o I think I'm crazy. Any who while acting out my video game life I continuously thought of Cloud getting changed into a baby by some materia of the sort. So I finally decided to post this on Fanfiction. I will say it might take me longer to post this story up since I, like most, am in school. Not to mention I'm on my mom's work laptop so she might take it back to work. Also I have Algebra I homework every freakin night! Since I'm so stupid I miss all the problems on my homework from the previous night and spend the next class time, which is an hour and a half, at the board fixing them! Well enough with my rambling. Please leave a review!


	2. Day 2

When Zack woke up the next day, he had thought that the previous day was all a dream, however; once he listened to the sounds around him he figured out it was all real.

Zack sat up and was staring face to face with a spiky blonde haired baby.

"Holy shit, you mean yesterday was real?" Zack asked himself in a quiet voice.

Cloud looked at Zack with a hint of worry in his eyes. It wasn't that he was afraid of never being his right age again, he was worried that Zack was going a little crazy. Yeah it had only been one day since the whole incident had happened but still, Zack was a little unpredictable at times.

"Don't worry Spiky, everything will be alright." Zack said reassuringly, pulling Cloud close. "You seem bigger than normal. Well smaller, but bigger? Wait. Ouch I just hurt myself by thinking to much!" Zack grabbed his head and closed his eyes as if in pain, to prove that such a task was possible.

Cloud rolled his eyes and made a noise that sounded awfully close to 'go'.

"A little bigger than you were yesterday…" Zack said looking Cloud over. "We should go see Sephiroth."

Zack got up and carried Cloud into the living room. Kunsel was sitting on the couch watching the Shin-Ra news. He had a far off look in his eyes as if he was thinking of something else. When Zack walked in Kunsel's head snapped up so fast you would have thought he gave himself whiplash.

"So yesterday wasn't a dream?" Kunsel asked.

"I'm afraid not." Zack replied with a sad look on his face.

"Well what now? Has Sephiroth figured anything out?"

"I'm not sure. He told me he would call but since he never did I guess he didn't learn anything." Zack said in a depressed tone.

"Man Zack, I don't think I've every seen you this sad before." Kunsel said, getting up from the couch. "You really are worried aren't you?"

"Don't say that! I'm not worried!" Zack yelled.

"Dude it's ok to be worried."

"But if Cloud knows I'm worried than he'll get worried."

"Dude I'm sure he'll be fine!" Kunsel reassured.

Zack nodded then walked over to the couch and sat Cloud down.

"Dude I'm about to piss my pants!" Zack yelled running off to the bathroom.

"Did you really have to yell that?" Kunsel called after him.

"YES!"

"Dear Shiva. Something is wrong with him."

"NO!" Cloud yelled hitting Kunsel on the leg.

"Hey what was that for?"

"Za no wied!" Cloud shouted hitting Kunsel again.

"Okay okay! Chill out!"

Cloud carefully crawled of the couch and walked over to the bathroom door.

"Dude, he's walking!" Kunsel exclaimed. "And he can talk! Oh and he's by the bathroom door so when-"Kunsel was cut of by the sound Zack yelling 'what?!' fallowed by a loud thud o n the other side of the door. There was a brief moment of silence other than the low voices of the TV.

"OUCH!" Zack yelled through the door.

"…You ran into the door again didn't you?" Kunsel asked.

Zack opened the door and shook his head while holding his forehead.

"This time it was the door hinge." He mumbled. "Hey Spiky, I heard you could walk and talk!"

Cloud nodded and stood up, reaching for Zack. Zack complied and picked Cloud up forgetting about his forehead which was forming a small bruise. Cloud looked into Zack's eyes with concern.

"Don't worry Baby Chocobo it'll go away in a few minutes! Besides it didn't hurt that bad. I'm a SOLDIER remember?" Zack said moving a stray strand of hair from Cloud's face.

Cloud smiled and started to play with Zack's shirt.

"Kunsel I'm going to go see Sephiroth and see if anything came up." Zack said walking towards the door, Cloud still in his arms.

"Hey Zack, Don't you ever wonder about the potty problem?" Kunsel asked before Zack made it to the door.

"The wha?"

"Cloud is a baby and babies aren't born potty trained."

"Damn it your right."

"I guess I could go out and get some diapers or something." Kunsel said, rubbing the back of his head.

"Really, Thanks!" Zack said and ran out the door before anything else went to stop him.

"Well this will be intresting." Kunsel said, getting off the couch and turning off the TV. "I bet no shop keep has ever seen a SOLDIER buying diapers. It's for Zack though and Odin knows he wouldn't have a clue of what to do without me."

Kunsel headed out the door picking up his keys of the key hook on the way.

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Zack was walking down the hall with Cloud held against his chest.

"Man Kunsel was right about that bathroom thing." Zack said looking down at Cloud.

Cloud was looking at Zack's shirt blushing.

"Aw look at my Baby Chocobo! Even at this age he blushes!" Zack said cuddling Cloud's head.

Zack was still getting weird looks as he walked down the hall. It wasn't to big of a surprise to see Zack getting weird looks since half the time he was either yelling something random, streaking, or wearing his 'I've got a prank to pull on somebody and I'm goanna pull it!' look on. Of course Cloud was normally with Zack in most of these cases. When Zack was streaking it wasn't because he was bored it was because he was drunk, and the only reason Cloud was with him was because he was running down the hall, blushing up a storm, chasing after him. His time Zack was getting weird looks for a recently new reason. He was cuddling a baby again.

No one knew that the baby was Cloud. The only people that knew were himself, Kunsel, and Seohiroth. Everyone else just saw Zack with a blonde hair deifying gravity baby.

Zack hurried down the halls, navigating his way around all he curious bystanders. Once he made it to Sephiroth's office he was once again given a strange look as to why he was carrying a baby.

Sephiroth was working on some paper work, like always, when Zack barged in.

"Please tell me you came up with something!" Zack asked Sephiroth.

"We might know what have happened but we still need to run testes." Sephiroth said, still working on his paper work.

"You for serious?" Zack questioned. "You mean like written testes? 'Cause I hate those things!"

"No Zackary. Testes on Cloud." Sephiroth stated in his monotone voice.

"On Cloud?" Zack questioned slowly. "No way! I'm letting you poke him with needles or anything!" Zack was holding Cloud as close to his chest as possible without crushing him with his SOLDIER strength.

"Zackary calm down before you crush him." Sephiroth said, putting down his pen. "It won't have anything to do with needles."

"Then what are you goanna do!?" Zack yelled.

"Please be quiet. We're simply running some scans on him to see if we get anything unusual about his body."

"I'm going with him!"

"Zackary…"

"I don't care what you say! I'm goanna be with Cloud the whole time!" Zack had a defiant look on his face that obviously showed that what he spoke was true.

After moment of silence, and staring at each other, Sephiroth nodded and stood up from his desk.

Sephiroth and Zack left the office and headed towards the science department to do the testes.

Once they made it to the science department Zack's curiosity and anger began to get the best of him.

"Now what; what the hell are they going to do to him!?" Zack yelled at Sephiroth.

"Zackary please calm down. You were doing fine till you got in here. I will take you out of the room if I have to." Sephiroth said, looking at Zack with slight annoyance.

Zack stared back with a frown. During their stare off a man with glasses had approached them. His hair was pulled back in a somewhat neat ponytail.

"Are we ready to begin the testes?" the man asked.

"Hell no, If your doing them than I'd rather be confused for my god damn life!" Zack yelled, holding Cloud close to his chest.

"Zackary," Sephiroth scolded.

"Now now there is no need to act in such a manner." Hojo stated pushing his glasses up.

"The hell there isn't." Zack mumbled under his breath.

"Damn it Zack I'm trying to help you now stop being immature for once in your life." Sephiroth said in his monotone voice. This time there was a bit of annoyance in it.

"What ever. I'm staying with him the whole time!"

"Of course, it might be best if you do so anyways." Hojo said walking over to some of his assistants.

"Don't worry Cloud I won't let anything happen to you. I'll kick his ass!" Zack said looking down at Cloud, giving him a reassuring smile. This time Cloud believed him. This smile showed in his eyes. You could tell if Zack was faking a smile or if it was real. If you were close enough to him anyways. Kunsel, Cloud, Sephiroth, Aerith, and Angeal could tell if he was faking or not.

Hojo came back over after talking through the schedule with everyone.

"Let's begin."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Once Kunsel left Shin-Ra he ignored most questions about Zack and his new baby. Kunsel just wanted to get the diapers and go hide in his apartment. Evne when he got the diapers though he would still be questioned.

_Oh my god what if they think me and Zack had the baby!_ Kunsel thought to himself. _No, no way would they think that. Everyone knows that I'm Zack's friend. Still when in Shin-Ra a lot of people come out of the closet, and due to the mako treatments we get who knows what's possible…_

"Damn." Kunsel said aloud.

_I'm no doubt goanna be questioned by the person working in the store. _Kunsel thought as he walked into a little store, located in sector seven.

Kunsel walked to the babies' isle and looked at the diapers hypothesizing which ones to get. He didn't spend too much time deciding which ones to get.

Once he picked, what he decided, to be the right size headed over to the check out.

"A SOLDIER needing baby diapers, what for?" the girl at the counter asked.

_God damn it is nothing a secret anymore!? _Kunsel asked himself.

"Well I'm helping out a friend and he's got a baby right now." Kunsel said. He saounded almost as if he was lying. Of course he wasn't. His friend, Zack, has a baby, Cloud, and he's trying to help him. It wasn't a lie but why couldn't Kunsel make it sound like the truth?

"Sure you are." The checkout girl said, with a sarcastic voice. She didn't mean it to be rude more of a tone that said she had 'caught onto his story and that ahe knew it was his baby and he didn't want it so he has to lie about it since he feels stupid for not using protection'.

"I'm serious!" Kunsel almost yelled. "My friend really does have a baby right now!"

"Really?" the girl asked, this time believing him.

"Yes, now I have to go!" Kunsel said, grabbing the diapers and running out of the store.

_God I don't think I've ever hated people this much! I'm starting to sound like Cloud. At least she put the diapers in a paper bag. _Kunsel thought.

Kunsel headed back to Shin-Ra, walking with a fast pace. Even when he walked back to his apartment he was being questioned. Kunsel thought he was about to lose it.

"Why are people so nosey!?" Kunsel yelled into a pillow once he made it to his room. "Man this whole baby situation is hurting me, badly."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Zack was carrying Cloud over to a scanner so he could get a full body scan.

"Don't worry Baby Chocobo it'll be okay." Zack spoke softly so only Cloud could hear.

The normal Cloud wouldn't be scared, however; the baby Cloud was starting to kick in, and that Cloud **was** scared.

_Stop freaking out! Zack's right! Nothing will go wrong!_ Cloud thought to himself.

Zack laid Cloud down on the scanner and stepped back.

"This it right! This is all you need to do right!?" Zack started yelling at Hojo.

"Silence." Was all Hojo said.

"Asshole…" Zack muttered under his breath.

Hojo walked over to a control panel that went to the scanner to start it. Zack looked down at Cloud to give him a reassuring smile, but before he could he was staring into terrified sapphire eyes.

"Don't worry." Zack whispered mostly to himself.

As the scanner started with a low humming noise and emitted a light that began to move over Cloud's body as a scanner would to a piece of paper.

"Hence scanner I suppose." Zack said in a low voice.

"What was that?" Hojo asked from near the controls.

"It's nothing." Zack replied in a forceful tone.

"Yes," Hojo said turning back to the scanner.

In a few short moments the scanning was done and the results were being sent to a nearby computer.

Zack hurried over the scanner and picked up Cloud.

"See that wasn't too bad was it?" Zack questioned Cloud. He didn't sound to convinced himself. He had a hint of worry in his voice. That, of course, made Cloud cling to Zack even more than he already had been.

"Zackary let me see him for a second." Sephiroth spoke from behind.

"But Seph he-" Zack was cut off by the cold stony stare Sephiroth was giving him. "Fine…" Zack muttered. He forced himself apart from Cloud and handed him to Sephiroth. Sephiroth nodded his thanks then turned around to a scientist behind him and handed Cloud over.

"NO!" Zack yelled, charging at the scientist.

Sephiroth got in front of Zack and stopped him before any harm could be done.

"Damn it Seph why the hell did you do that!?" Zack yelled fight Sephiroth's strength.

"Zackary calm down. They need to take a blood sample."

"What," Zack yelled, taking a few steps back. "What, you lied to me!? You bastard you said they wouldn't hurt him!"

"Zackary, I said they wouldn't use needles."

"You're not helping your self!" Zack continued yelling. Sepiroth was about to say something until he and Zack both heard a cry.

"Cloud!" Zack yelled, running towards a little table where Cloud was sitting. Sephiroth grabbed him before he could get any where. "Cloud!"

"Zackary that's enough!" Sephiroth said more forcefully. In a split second Zack felt nothing but the urge to get to Cloud to pain filling his lower gut.

"No…" Zack spoke lowly as he fell to the floor.

The last thing Zack saw was Sephiroth turning and walking away. Then as darkness slowly began to take over him, he heard the faint cry of a baby.

"Cloud…"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Zack woke up in a bed he was sure was not his.

"What happened? Cloud!" Zack exclaimed. He fell of the bed in a hurry to try and find Cloud. Where ever he was he was going to find him.

When Zack opened the door to the room he was in he surprised to find that he was in Kunsel's apartment.

"Have fun?" Kunsel asked in a low voice, looking up at Zack with an amused expression on his face.

"Where's Cloud!?" Zack asked in a hurry.

"Shh calm down! He's right here." Kunsel said. He turned slightly to reveal a little Cloud sitting up, slowly rubbing his eyes. "Great you woke him up."

"Cloud!" Zack exclaimed, running over to Cloud and hugging him tightly.

"Heh, you know he was worried about you." Kunsel pointed out.

"Really?" Zack asked in surprise.

Kunsel nodded and went into the kitchen to get something.

"Did you really miss me Spiky?" Zack asked looking into Cloud's sleepy eyes.

Cloud stared for a second looking slightly confused. He yawned then nodded slowly and crawled into Zack's lap.

Zack chuckled and leaned forward slightly to kiss Cloud on the forehead. "Why don't you go back to sleep."

Cloud nodded and leaned into Zack's chest and curled up against him.

Kunsel was standing in the doorway to the living room and kitchen holding a glass of water while smiling slightly.

"Hey Zack you ever wonder if it's him acting like that or if it's just him being a baby?" Kunsel questioned, walking over to the couch.

"Cloud's not a baby!" Zack spoke in a hushed voice.

"Not like that! I mean, you think he loves you?"

"Of course he does! Who doesn't?"

"Great Shiva, not like that you self centered moron! I mean do you think he **loves** you loves you?"

Zack took a moment to think. "I'm not sure. I guess I never thought about it that way."

"I bet he does." Kunsel said leaning back on couch.

"Yeah whatever," Zack said, looking at the sleeping form he held.

_What if he's right? _Zack thought to himself. _Yeah right._

Zack sat still looking down at Cloud.

"Hey, what happened when I blacked out?" Zack questioned.

"What do you mean?"

"Well I don't know how I passed out. I was standing there yelling then I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and that was it." Zack explained.

"Oh yeah the General punched you in the stomach." Kunsel replied as if it was nothing.

"Of course," Zack said slowly. "Did he tell you anything?"

"Only that you should stay here with me so I can help keep you under control."

"Under control?"

"Yeah the General says this situation may be a little more than you can handle."

"What the hell does he know? I'm fine I can take care of myself!" Zack spoke in a loud voice to help prove his point.

"Zack talking louder isn't going to help. Now be quiet it's ten at night people are trying to sleep."

"So it's- wait ten at night? I slept the whole day away!"

"You do that every day." Kunsel pointed out. "If it weren't for Cloud you would always sleep in like you did before he moved in."

"...so. Cloud loves me therefore- what are you doing?" Zack asked looking down at Cloud, who was now awake due to Zack's out burst a few moments ago.

"Play!" Cloud said while pulling on Zack's shirt.

"Play what?" Zack questioned.

Cloud looked like he was in thought for a moment before he came to a conclusion.

"Dwaw!" Cloud said, smiling.

"Dwaw? What's that?" Zack asked

"I think he means draw." Kunsel helped.

"You wanna draw?" Zack asked again.

Cloud nodded yes and started to bounce in Zack's lap.

"Oh please don't do that." Zack pleaded with a slight frown.

"Yeah Cloud you might give him a bo-" Kunsel was cut short by Zack's hand over his mouth.

"Shut the hell up! As much as that may be true I will not allow you to say such things in front of my Cloudy!" Zack said as he removed his hand from Kunsel's mouth.

Cloud had stopped bouncing when Kunsel was cut off at the end of his sentence he may be in a baby's body but that doesn't mean he still can't think like his normal sixteen year old self. Quiet frankly he was actually glad to hear, well almost hear, that bouncing on Zack's lap would make him well, happy. Now he knew how Zack felt about him.

"Well let's get to drawing!" Zack said after arguing with Kunsel about how Zack wanted to…

Kunsel got up and got some paper and pens.

"What the heck, no markers?" Zack yelled.

"Zack we're in Shin-Ra. I'm pretty sure they don't have markers here."

"Well that's gay!"

"You mean like you?" Kunsel asked, laughing

"You're so mean to me!"

"Sorry Zack I-OUCH!" Kunsel said, grabbing his head.

"Ha! That's what you get for making fun of me!" Zack laughed.

Kunsel looked at the floor and picked up a pen.

"Cloud did you-OW!" Kunsel yelled placing a hand over his right eye.

"You mean to Zacky." Cloud stated simply as he sat on the couch crossing his arms as if completely obvious as to why he threw the first pen.

"Zack you should really learn how to raise a baby.' Kunsel said looking at Zack through his left eye.

"Why? I think it's working out pretty well on its own!" Zack laughed.

"Dude, he's been beating me up all day! That's why I had me helmet off yesterday when you came to get him!"

"…You had your helmet off yesterday?"

"Maybe we should give up on drawing for now." Kunsel suggested.

"What no way!" Zack yelled.

"Zack it's still 10 at night remember?" Kunsel said, frowning.

"No I don't!" Zack said, folding his arms over his chest and flopping into the back of the couch. Kunsel chuckled at the look of Zack's face. He looked like a little kid who didn't want to clean up his room. Kunsel stared at Zack a moment before breaking the silence.

"Just be a little quieter is all I'm asking." He said in soft voice. Zack uncrossed his arms and smiled at Kunsel.

"I will!"

"Alright then, Cloud no more throwing pens ok?"

_Huh I'll try not to. The way he was looking at Zack was weird…_ Cloud thought to himself.

"Cloud," Kunsel asked. Cloud kept staring at Kunsel with an unreadable expression on.

"Try calling him Chocobo." Zack offered.

Kunsel nodded and tried the nickname. When he got no answer he looked at Zack.

"Try Spiky if that doesn't work then try Spike."

Kunsel tried both nicknames and still got no answer. Getting slightly annoyed, he looked to Zack one more time for an answer.

"Uhm try Cloudy?" Zack said in a small voice.

"Cloudy?" Kunsel said in a questioning voice. Cloud still didn't answer. He did however continue to stare at Kunsel. "What the hell is he doing?" Kunsel questioned Zack.

"I'm not sure," Zack replied. "Baby Chocobo," Zack asked. Cloud's head snapped over to Zack and lit up. "You ok Spiky?" Cloud smiled big and looked at the paper in Kunsel's hands.

"Draw?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah let's- hey wait a second. He just said draw!" Zack exclaimed

"Hmm that's weird." Kunsel said. "Maybe you shoukd tell Sephiroth."

"No! No Sephy!" Cloud yelled as he crawled into Zack's lap and and hid his face in his shirt.

"Damn it." Zack said looking down at Cloud, resting a hand on his little back.

"Is it from those testes they did?" Kunsel questioned.

"More than likely," Zack replied

"Hey it's okay Cloud why don't we draw now?" Kunsel suggested, trying to get Cloud's mind off the Sephiroth deal. Cloud looked up from Zack's shirt and nodded.

"Great," Zack said smilling. "And don't worry I'm not taking you anywhere you don't want to be!" Cloud smiled up at Zack after hearing the reassuring words. Kunsel smiled at Cloud and took the paper and pens into the small dining area.

"We can draw in here for now." Kunsel said sitting down in a chair. Zack nodded in agreement and carried Cloud over to the table. Zack sat down and placed Cloud on his lap.

"I got an idea!" Zack yelled excitedly.

"Shh Zack." Kunsel reminded.

"Sorry," Zack said in a sarcastic tone. "I just got a really good idea and it got the best of me."

"Clearly," Kunsel stated flatly.

"Anyways, I was thinking we should have a drawing contest!"

"Who me and you?" Kunsel questioned.

"No me, you and Cloud!"

"Zack Cloud's just a baby I'm willing to wager that he doesn't have a good grip on drawing at this age."

"So let's just give it a shot! What do ya say Spiky?" Zack said, twirling Cloud around in his lap so the he faced him. Cloud looked at Zack for a moment then nodded his head in approval. "All right," Zack said, excitement evident in his voice. Kunsel grabbed a pen and a sheet of paper while Zack did the same for he and Cloud.

"What's the point of this again?" Kunsel asked.

"Ha jokes on you, I never told you what the point of a drawing contest was!" Zack spoke matter-of-factly, holding a pen to Kunsel's face.

"Well how 'bout you tell me now?" Kunsel suggested.

"Well I don't really have a reason for it truthfully."

"Interesting…"

"I really do want to see how well Cloud can draw at this age. However old he is…"

"Well let's get started."

"Draw!" Cloud said, holding up a pen.

"Alight Baby Chocobo let the contest take way!" Zack yelled. A few minute later three of the showed each other their pictures and spent at least five minutes trying to decipher what Cloud drew.

"Is it a horse?" Kunsel asked.

"No!" Cloud said with huff, irritation obviously evident in his voice.

"Well it looks like a cat, but that's way too good to be one." Zack pointed out.

"Yes!" Cloud said with an excited look on his face.

"I win!" Zack yelled.

"Not really we still need to pick out who had the best drawing." After spending about another ten minute trying to figure out what Zack drew, the winner was chosen.

"I think Cloud should win." Kunsel said, leaning back in his chair.

"I bet that if I hadn't forgotten what I drew then I would have won!" Zack said as he got up from the table, still holding Cloud.

"I'm not too sure about that."

"Man what time is it?" Zack questioned after a moment.

"Time for you to go to sleep," Kunsel stated flatly, while putting up the pens and paper.

"No it's not," Zack said, yawning. "Man it's eleven-fifteen."

"Like I said you should go to bed. Besides I think Cloud should be asleep too."

"Um he is actually." Zack said as he turned to face Kunsel.

"Well I'm turning in. You should stay here again till we know what'a going on with Cloud." Kunsel said, turning to walk down the small hallway to his room.

"Right, goodnight," Zack said walking into the guest room.

"Goodnight," Kunsel called before he shut the door to his room. Zack walked into the guest room and carefully laid Cloud down on the bed. Zack lay on the bed cautiously so to not wake up Cloud.

"Another day gone and we still don't know what's wrong with you." Zack stated softly. "I will find put what's wrong Cloudy." Zack fell into an uneasy sleep that night. There had to be a way to fix this mess. There just had to.

**Author's Notes**

I'm SO sorry it took so long for this chapter! I couldn't get internet on my mom's laptop for a while. Now that we've got it back I've final posted it! I was hitting a bit of a writers block to so that held me back as well. I also want to say I noticed a couple of typo's in my first chapter. This Word document thing changes materia into material so it's kind of hard to catch sometimes. ^^'

I've decided to give myself a two week limit to my chapters so I'll try and keep that going after this one! Umm just as well I think the ending sucked on this one. Any who I'd like to thank some people:

**lady-yuna7**

**Kichou**

**FifthDayOfMay**

**Meyko**

**And last but not least, one of my best friends in the whole god damn world…**

**XxGaara's Lost HeartxX**

Gaara had encouraged me to keep writing and get my lazy ass to work! Thank you ll for the encouragement!

Please leave a review, even if you did last time! They make me happy and continue writing! Thanks for reading!


	3. Day 3

Zack woke up from a dreamless sleep to a heavy weight on his stomach and his name being called.

"Zack!" the voice called.

"Three more hours," Zack mumbled nearly incoherently.

"No you have to get up now!" The voice pleaded.

"I don' wanna…" Zack whined, pulling his pillow out from under his head and placing it on top of it.

"But I gotta pee!" the voice said. The weight on Zack's stomach started to bounce a little and then it hit Zack like a ton of bricks.

"Cloud," Zack yelled sitting up and knocking the blond off his stomach. Cloud quickly sat up, after nearly falling of the bed and went straight to his dilemma.

"I've gotta pee!" He exclaimed.

"Oh right uh follow me!" Zack said in a hurry. Zack jumped out of bed with Cloud in tow. They quickly made it to the bathroom and Cloud made his way inside.

"You wont need any help right?" Zack asked cautiously.

"No," Cloud said behind the closed door.

"Alright, I'll be in the living room." Zack said walking away. Once he was in the living room he spotted Kunsel sitting on the couch watching the news quietly.

"Hey what was that yelling about?" Kunsel asked as Zack sat down next to him on the couch.

"Huh, oh Cloud had to go pee and I didn't know it was him trying to wake me up until I really listened to him." Zack said nonchalantly.

"Interesting," Kunsel said, staring at Zack for a moment.

"What?" Zack asked.

"You seem pretty calm." Kunsel pointed out.

"So, I can be calm you know." Zack said, turning to rest his head on his hand while still looking sat Kunsel.

"That's hard to believe." Kunsel said, chuckling.

"You're so mean!" Zack said, flinging himself in Kunsel's lap with one hand on his head and the other dangling off the couch in mock hurt. He looked like he was trying to copy a scene from Romeo and Juliet.

"Get off you moron. Oh I got a few outfits for Cloud."

"Really, thanks," Zack said still laying o Kunsel.

"Seriously dude get off."

"Hmm hope!"

"Zack…" a small voice called from the hallway. Zack sat up and looked towards the voice to find Cloud standing there with a little pink tinge to his face.

"What's up Chocobo?"

"Don't call me that…" Cloud trailed off, the pink on his face becoming slightly brighter.

"Hey you ok?" Zack questioned, slight worry evident in his voice.

"Yeah why,"

"Your face is kind of red." Zack put the back of his hand to Cloud's forehead to feel for a temperature, causing Cloud's blush to skyrocket. "You feel really warm Cloud!" Zack exclaimed.

"Zack look at his face." Kunsel said from the couch. Zack gave him a confused look but did as he was told anyways.

"Cloud are sure your ok your face is bright red! Kunsel help!" Zack was clearly alarmed by the situation at hand.

"Geez Zack calm down. He's just blushing."

"Blushing…?" Zack trailed off.

"Yes now it's probably best you stop touching him and leave him alone." Kunsel suggested from where he sat on the couch.

"But I wanna know why he's-"

"Oh my gods Zack look a distraction!" Kunsel yelled pointing at a wall, effectively cutting off Zack.

"Where," Zack yelled, completely forgetting about Cloud.

Cloud cautiously walked around Zack toward the couch and sat down next to Kunsel.

"Um thanks." Cloud said in a low voice.

"Of course," Kunsel said. "I'd want help too."

"Aw you guys are so mean to me!" Zack complained, dragging himself across the floor with his hands.

"What the heck are you doing?" Kunsel questioned.

Zack looked up from his spot in front of the couch and crawled on top of Kunsel and sat on his lap.

"Dying inside 'cause your so mean!" Zack replied getting so close to Kunsel that their noses were touching.

"Well do you have to climb on me in the process of dying?"

"Yus! Oh hey! Is that a banana in your pocket or are you just glad I'm sitting on you?"

Kunsel blushed a light shade of pink and pushed the maniacally laughing Zack off his lap.

"You're so immature sometimes." Kunsel mumbled looking over to Cloud. His face was as red as a tomato. "Hey just ignore him."

Cloud looked up from where Zack was laying on the floor and nodded.

"Did you ever get a call from Sephiroth?" Kunsel asked Zack.

"Huh? Oh let me see." Zack said pulling out his phone. He looked at his screen for a few seconds to see if the new message sign was flashing or not. "Nope haven't gotten anything from him."

"You think that's good or bad?"

"Hard saying,"

"Best not to think about it,"

"Yeah, come on Cloudy let's go!"

"Where," Cloud asked with slight worry in his voice.

"Aw don't worry Spiky I just want to-" Zack cut himself off. "Oh my gods, I can't believe I didn't think of it earlier!"

"Think of what?" Kunsel questioned.

"Aerith, she might know what's wrong with Cloud!"

"That flower girl in the slums? How could she know?"

"She just has this way of knowing things! Like when she tends the flowers at the church she just knows how to treat them!"

"Zack that doesn't mean she knows everything."

"I can't explain it but I know she can help us I just know it!" Zack said picking up Cloud and running out the door.

"Right…" Kunsel trailed off staring at the open door.

Zack ran out the Shin-Ra building and hurried to the train to take him to the church in which Aerith normally resided. Once he got to the train station, he found himself lucky to find that the train was actually there.

Zack hurried on the train and saw quiet a few people staring at him once again.

"What you've never seen a man with a kid before?" Zack questioned the people.

"Well not a SOLDIER operative." commented a kid under his breath.

"Ugh whatever," Zack mumbled, walking to an emptier cart.

Zack had to nearly go to the very last cart to find one with nearly no people.

"Well that was a slight ordeal wouldn't you say?" Zack asked Cloud with cheacky grin once he found a spot for them to sit.

"Aewith," Cloud questioned. "Is she the one you want me to meet?"

"Yeah, the girl with the brown hair and the pink ribbon I bought her."

"She can help me?"

"I hope. She just has this way of knowing what's wrong. She likes to talk to the flowers in her church. It's like she really knows what they want or what they like. Man Spiky when you seen those flowers you are gonna flip! Just don't step on them she gets pretty pissed."

"How do you know that?"

"Well one day I was walking around thinking-"

"What were **you** thinking about?" Cloud questioned, cutting off Zack.

_Your smile!_

"Nothing…" Zack trailed off with a light blush on his face.

Cloud raised a brow in question but didn't press for answers. Besides with Zack's dirty mind he probably didn't want to know.

"Anyways, I was walking around her church and thinking. Well I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and I accidently stepped on the flowers and she said a few things you wouldn't expect her to say…"

"_Don't step on the fucking flowers damn it! Oh, Zack I'm sorry but you know how I get!" Aerith yelled at Zack._

"_Eh I guess I don't" Zack said with a shocked look on and a severely messed up 'Ninja Stance'_

_Aerith looked at the flowers he stepped on and rushed over to tend to them._

Zack chuckled at the recalled memory.

"What?" Cloud asked.

"Nothing just remembering what happened."

"Tell me!" Cloud said with an eager face.

"Maybe when you're older,"

"But I'm sixteen!"

"Well when it comes to how long you've been alive then yes, but right now your what, two, three maybe?"

"It's not like I'm going to say it out loud or anything!" Cloud said frowning.

"I don't want to poison your delicate brain with fowl language like Kunsel tried to do." Zack said, playing with a strand of Cloud's hair.

"Whatever," Cloud said, folding his arms and turning his head away from Zack.

"Aw Baby Chocobo don't be mad!" Zack begged. "The last thing I wanna worry about is my little birdie not liking me!" Zack continued, pulling Cloud into his lap and snuggling his head.

"Stop that…" Cloud whined quietly.

"I hear a smile!" Zack chimed.

Just then a red light came on and an alarm sounded. Cloud quickly flipped around in Zack's grip and buried his face in Zack's chest.

"Hey what's wrong? It's just-"

"The system." Cloud finished.

"Yeah, why did you freak out if you know?"

"I don't know."

"It caught you off guard that's all." Zack said reassuringly, playing with Cloud's hair.

"Yeah." Cloud said resting his head on Zack's chest.

Zack smiled and continued to play with Cloud's hair until they made it to there destination. Cloud had fallen asleep on the way so Zack decided to carry him off the train instead of waking him up. Besides Zack had always enjoyed Cloud's face when he was asleep. All the pain and suffering that seemed to be there when he was awake was gone and replaced with a peaceful face. His soft it just added to his angelic look. Even now that he was a young Cloud his face seemed even softer and more innocent. Zack sometimes found himself wondering if he was stalking Cloud. If Zack could phrase Cloud's appearance while he was sleeping into such a poetic manner then that should be considered stalking if nothing else.

Zack's feet seemed to have a mind of their own. Once Zack had gotten off the train his feet had quickly navigated themselves to Aerith's church.

"Huh, sweet!" Zack said and pushed open the doors.

The old rundown church seemed the same as did a few weeks ago, which was strange. The church looked really nice on the inside and outside but since no one but Aerith was ever in it one would think that it would be a little dusty at the most. Zack was sure Aerith couldn't clean the whole place by herself.

"Zack!" Aerith's voice called from the front of the church. Zack came out of his thoughts to look towards Aerith and smiled. He quickly remembered Cloud though and put his finger to his lips to signal for her to be quiet.

As Aerith approached Zack she could see that he was holding something. The closer she got the better she could make out what he was holding.

"Who is that?" she questioned once she was close enough to whisper.

"Aerith, this is Cloud." Zack introduced.

"The Cloud from Shin-Ra?"

"Yeah, I know it sounds weird but it's true! I was wondering if you could tell me what's wrong with him."

"Well what happened?"

"I found this materia and I didn't know what it was suppose to do and there was a bright light and then cute teenage Cloud was cute baby Cloud!"

"Hm it could have been a Youth Materia. Their said to be a legend though."

"Well it sounds reasonable."

"I suppose."

Just then Cloud began to stir. Zack looked to his right shoulder where Cloud was resting and waited. Soon enough Cloud's eyes fluttered open.

When Cloud woke up he found he wasn't on the train anymore but, on Zack's shoulder. Zack was looking at him wearing a small smile. Cloud looked at his surroundings. It appeared to be a church of some sort.

_Wait… church? Then this must be where that girl is._ Cloud thought to himself.

"Cloud this is Aerith's church," Zack started. "And this is Aerith."

Cloud turned sideways in Zack's arms and looked ahead. In front of him stood a pretty young girl with brown hair and emerald green eyes.

"Aerith?" Cloud questioned.

"Yes!" she replied with a smile. "Zack he's so cute!" she reached out to touch Cloud's cheek. Cloud flinched and hid his face in Zack's shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay." Zack reassured. "She's really nice remember? She's not like the others."

Cloud looked back at Aerith and stared at her.

"I know." He said quietly.

"Come on let's see what's wrong." She said in her soft voice.

Aerith turned and started walking towards the front of the church. Zack fallowed close behind. Once they were at the front of the church, Aerith sat on the first pew on the left while Zack sat down next to her.

"He hasn't been acting weird right?

"Well not really. I mean he's been a little more out spoken I guess."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he's been beating up my friend, Kunsel." Zack said, smirking.

Aerith giggled.

"He's also seemed to show more affection to me."

"More affection?"

"Yeah, he would cuddle with me and let me play with his hair!" Zack cooed cuddle Cloud.

Cloud made a little whining noise and a slight blush appeared on his face.

"Once he even cuddled me back!"

"Let me see him."

Zack nodded and sat Cloud next to him on the pew. Aerith smiled at Cloud reached out and gently grabbed his chin. Aerith stared at his eyes. Cloud just looked back, slightly confused. This continued for a few minutes.

"Um what's going?" Zack questioned from behind Cloud. When he got no answer he just forgot about it and decided to watch.

"_What's going on?" Cloud questioned aloud._

_He was standing in an empty white room._

"_Cloud?" a soft voice called._

_Cloud jumped and turned quickly_

"_Aerith, what's going on? Where are we?"_

"_Were in your mind." she smiled._

"_What? My mind!?" Cloud asked in disbelief._

"_Yes,"_

"_Looks like it should be Zack's…"_

"_Have you noticed anything?"_

"_What,"_

"_Anything different,"_

"_Different…"_

"_About you,"_

"_Me," Cloud looked his body over and quickly noticed something was definitely different. "I'm sixteen again!"_

"_Yes, that shows that you're still your right age. The youth materia has just changed your appearance. That also means that the way you've been acting was probably all you're doing too."_

"_Not all of it! Some things I can't control!"_

"_Like,"_

"_Like being afraid of the alarm system on the train, I knew it was going to go off but when it did it caught me off guard."_

"_I see."_

Cloud made a small gasp and looked down.

"Wha what happened?" Zack questioned.

"He'll be fine."

"What, but what happened?"

"I can't really explain it." Aerith replied.

"At least tell me what's wrong."

"Well I guess I'm going to have to tell you what happened for it to make sense."

"Make up you're mind women!"

"Alright," she said giggling. "I went into Cloud's mind."

"You did what?!" Zack exclaimed.

"I checked Cloud's memory, I saw what happened. You did find the youth materia. It seemed as though this youth material was a new one. It wasn't very strong. Sinse it was so weak it only changed Cloud's appearance, not his actual age."

"How do you know he's still sixteen?"

"In his mind he was still a sixteen year old."

"Well do you know how old he is now?"

"He's around four."

"I must warn you though. If you don't find a way to fix him, in a few days he could die."

"What how!?"

"As time goes on he will get three years older in one day. At one point he will be too old to live or what ever fate is decided to end his life at that age will happen."

Zack looked at Aerith for a second.

"Say he is suppose to die at the age of nineteen by being hit by a car. What ever time of the day he is nineteen is when he will die."

"That makes more sense, but what if he's inside when he's supposed to die?"

"Even if he's inside something will happen for him to go outside."

"What do you mean?"

"Say you kept him inside all day to protect him. Well he would get upset and sneak outside when you weren't paying attention. Then he would get hit and die."

"This is so messed up! So you mean it's absolutely impossible to stop his death."

"His fate was determined when he was born. You can't stop it. Besides we're just talking hypothetically."

"Hypo what?"

"It's when you think of the possibilities or when you assume something for the sake of argument."

"Right, hey where's Baby Chocobo?"

Aerith looked to her flowers first just to make sure he wasn't destroying them. It would be pretty easy for a three year old to get distracted be their beauty.

What Aerith saw shocked her a little bit.

"Zack," Aerith called.

Zack was looking behind all the pews when he heard her call. He looked to Aerith's voice and noticed her looking at her flowers. There sat a little blue ball with bright yellow soft looking spikes jutting from the top of it.

"Spiky?" Zack asked.

Cloud turned around and had sort of dazed look on his face.

"What 'cha doing?" Zack questioned quietly as he walked over with a small caring smile on.

"Flouw…" Cloud trailed off. "They're pretty."

"Yeah, remember don't touch them."

Cloud continued to stare at the flowers showing almost no interest in what Zack was saying.

"Is he okay?" Zack questioned Aerith.

"Yes,"

"He's never seen flowers in Midgar before."

Aerith shook her head whilst smiling at Cloud's amazement.

"So how am I supposed to fix him?"

"I'm not really sure," she said looking up Zack.

"Then, what's gonna happen?"

"I don't know."

"I had Sephiroth analyze the materia. He hasn't gotten back to me though."

"I'm sure he will call soon." Aerith said reassuringly, still looking at Cloud.

"Isn't he cute?" Zack asked her.

"Of course he is!"

"His hair looks like a baby chocobo's feathers." Zack chuckeled.

"No it doesn't," yelled Cloud.

He snapped out of his small trance when he heard Zack say his name and that his hair looked like a baby chocobo's feathers.

"Wow, okay calm down they look totally different." Zack said holding up his hands in defense.

"You know he doesn't like it when you say that." Aerith said giggling.

"He didn't mind earlier!"

"I guess he does now," Aerith said, giggles dying down.

"Laugh it up sister 'cause it won't happen-" Zack started but was cut off by his phone ringing.

"Zack speaking," Zack answered. Sephiroth's voice could be heard on the other line.

"Zack we fgured out that the materia you found was-"

"Youth materia I know."

"How do you know?"

"I went to see Aerith and told her what happened. I had a feeling she could help us and she kinda did."

"Where is cadet Strife?"

"He's here with me. What you think I'd leave him all alone?" Zack said, walking over to Cloud and picking him up.

"He is still a baby right." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Yeah,"

"What else did that girl tell you?"

"Her name's not 'That Girl' you ass it's Aerith." Zack said, frowning slightly at the phone.

"My apologies, now what else did she tell you?"

"That he could die if we don't fix this soon."

"Did she say how… I can't believe I'm going by the answers of some girl." Sephiroth said chuckling lightly.

"Damn it Seph her name is Aerith!" Zack yelled into the phone.

"Come back to Shin-Ra so I can deal with you personally."

"Oh kinky," Zack said laughing.

Sephiroth hung up without a seconds thought.

"Bastard," Zack said in a whisper looking up at the ceiling of the church.

"What did he say?"

"He wants me to head back to Shin-Ra." Zack replied slowly looking at Aerith.

"Maybe he found out how to help." Aerith suggested.

"Yeah," Zack said in a small voice.

"Aerith got up from the pew she sat on and walked over to Zack. She had never seen him look so sad before. She gave him a hug with hopes that it would help in some way.

Zack held on as tight as he could while holding Cloud.

Cloud held onto Zack's neck tight when he heard soft cries.

"Don't worry it'll be okay." Aerith said in a soft voice.

"Yeah," Zack said sniffling slightly. He turned his head a little to look at Cloud. "Sorry Spiky,"

Cloud looked at Zack with worry evident in his eyes.

"Let's go back to Shin-Ra, we'll get through this."

Cloud nodded, a small smile appearing on his face.

When Zack and Cloud made it back to Shin-Ra, Zack went straight to Sephiroth's office. He didn't bother knocking since he was not only friends with the man, second in command to him, but because he just didn't feel like it. Besides Sephiroth knew he was terrible when it came to manners.

"What did you find out?" He asked when he stepped in.

"I want you to take this material to that girl you usually talk about." Sephiroth said tossing the youth materia to Zack with the flick of his wrist.

"What? Why didn't you just tell me that on the phone? I could have left Cloud at the church with Aerith!"

"I didn't think of it until it was too late."

"Whatever," Zack said, adjusting Cloud's weight so he could hold him easier.

"I've heard you say that she knows everything. What gives you that idea?"

"Huh,"

_Well that was random. _Zack thought to himself.

"Well when she tends her flowers it's like she can talk to them or something."

"Interesting, now leave."

"Wha… geez Seph that's rude,"

"Go give her that materia and see if she can figure out anything about it."

"Fine," Zack started to turn around and leave before he was stopped.

"Zack, where did those clothes come from?" Sephiroth asked referring to the clothing Cloud had on.

"Oh Kunsel got 'em for me when he went out."

"Hmm,"

"Do I have to give Aerith the materia today?"

"No but if you want to help him then you should."

"I know he'll be fine for the rest of today."

"Then do as you want."

"Alrighty then, we're going to the park!" Zack said walked out of the room with a goofy smile on.

Zack went to the park in the slums and watched Cloud and a few other kids play.

_It's not hard to see that he's worried. We'll get through this, I know we will._

Zack kept repeating the same line over and over until Cloud came up pulling at his arm.

"What is it Spiky?"

"Tired," Cloud mumbled rubbing his eyes.

He had a little dirt smudged on his face, arms and clothes.

"Alright," Zack chuckled

He took out his phone to check the time and noticed that it was almost nine.

"Man how could I let time get way so fast?"

Zack picked up Cloud and started towards Shin-Ra.

Once they reached the building, Zack took out his phone and sent Kunsel a message saying he was staying at his own room that night.

When Zack reached his apartment he carefully laid the now sleeping blonde on his bed and carefully took off his dirty clothes. He then got a rag wet with warm water and cleaned his face, arms and legs of the dirt.

Once he was finished he put the rag back and laid down next to Cloud. Tomorrow he would take Aerith the materia.

**Author's Notes**

I wrote a few pages of this when in the car waiting for my mom and sister to pick a pumpkin for Halloween lol.

I was wondering if anyone has seen my story in a community or anything. They don't tell you if they add your story or not so I was wondering if anyone had seen it anywhere.

Once again sorry for the wait, I guess I can't really give myself a time span to work ^^'

That's really going to hurt me in the future. Really I didn't have too much time to work due to the fact that for about one or two weeks I had no idea what was wrong with me and I thought I had cancer. No lie people! Sometimes I over react but this was for real! So yeah want to know what was wrong with me?! Well it will be at the bottom of the author's notes. If you don't want to read it just ignore it! I don't want any bullshit about how nobody cares.

I also want to say that my story does not match up with the time things actually happened. Like Zack knowing Aerith when Angeal and Genesis are all normal.

My favorite part was probably when Aerith cussed! XD We all know she wouldn't do that but wouldn't it be freaking funny?!

To answer Kiana777's question, in chapter two Kunsel said: "Yeah Cloud you might give him a bo-" I just wanted to clear it up by saying that Kunsel was going to say bonner. Ah I just couldn't pass up the chance to use that.

For those who celebrate it Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Boxing Day, and Happy New Year! I wish the best of times to you all!

**Thanks…**

Empty Puppet

XxGaara's Lost HeartxX

natcat5

Victoria92179

TheOtherKybladeMaster

Dragi

Kichou

Clockwork Phoenix

Mity

tsukiko94

victoria92179

Kiana777

Dark-Angels-calling

Thanks for reviewing, adding to your favorites, watching and all that good stuff!

**Crazy Shit!**

Alrighty so my left side was making this weird gurgling noise for about a week. At first I figured it was just because of something I ate. Turns out it wasn't. I then thought it was my digestive system acting up. It wasn't. Finally I ran out of things to hypothesize.

I looked up 'how to regulate your digestive system' on google when I thought that was the problem. I found a result of a person with the same symptoms as me and clicked on the thingy. I definitely should not have done that. This person was thinking she had a cancer. I got terrified and began to think I had the cancer as well. I thought about dying nearly every second of every day. I didn't feel myself and I had no idea what to do anymore.

All my friends knew something was wrong with me and that I was scared. I never let them know how scared I really was though. Even though death was on my mind I hid it behind a smile and continued to live, if it wasn't for me then I did it for my family and friends.

After the first four days of panicking I told me mom about it (AGAIN!) and she looked it up in a medical book. On my left side the only thing there was my intestines. This scared me more. I know your intestines should never sound like mine did.

My mom said I probably just had an infection of the sort. So she made me drink Sprite and Seven Up for a week. I drank about two litters of soda . After my side finally stopped making noises, the infection or sickness or whatever moved up. So then I was sick in my stomach. So I continued to drink Sprite! After that the week before this one and this one were my weeks of relaxing and having some weird ass stuff still happen. Like my hypoglycemia was making it to where I got so weak I couldn't lift my arms. Poor me! I'm just a mess huh? XD

Oh and you have no idea how annoying it is to be sitting in class and just hear this random ass gurgling that isn't from hunger. XD

So that's my story and I hope I won't be able to top this for a long time.

I also want to say thanks to XxGaara's Lost HeartxX because she has encouraged my story and helped me with my ordeal! I love ya girl!


	4. Day 4

When Zack woke up the first thing he did was look at the digital clock on his bedside table.

"Twelve thirty-four? God I over slept." Zack said rubbing the back of his neck. Then it hit him that something, or someone, was missing.

"Cloud, Cloud?" Zack called. When he got no answer he started to worry. He ran out of his room and ran down the hall. When he was near the living room he could hear the TV on.

"Clou-" Zack started but was cut off when he tripped and landed face first onto the floor behind the couch.

"Zack, what did you trip on?" Cloud questioned from where he sat on the couch.

"I have no idea."

Cloud stood on the couch and looked at the heap lying on the floor holding its nose.

"There's nothing back here for you to trip on." Cloud said with a frown. "You're so clumsy."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Zack yelled jumping to his feet.

"What're you talking about?"

"I flipped out in the other room calling for you! Why didn't you say anything?"

"I was just getting payback."

"…For what?"

"For waking up at nine in the morning because I couldn't breathe due to a hundred and something pound thing laying on me!"

"You got payback on me for something I didn't know I did?"

"No not really but I did wake up at nine because of you."

"Then that doesn't answer my question." Zack said snatching the remote from Cloud's little hand and turning off the TV.

"Hey I was watching that!"

"Well you can watch it after you tell me why you didn't answer."

"I didn't answer because I didn't want to."

"Really now," Zack said with disbelieve evident in his voice.

"Yeah it's like when I was still in the barracks. When you would call at three in the morning and I didn't answer. I was awake I just didn't answer."

"Or like the time you, well you know."

"No I don't."

"When you got that letter for the exam results…"

"When was that?"

Zack stared at Cloud in disbelief.

"You don't remember?"

"No,"

Zack stared at Cloud for a second then turned to head back towards his room.

"Hey is it a good thing or a bad thing that I can't remember?"

"I can't say for sure," Zack called from his room.

He quickly changed into a pair of baggy black jeans, a white under shirt, a red jacket with the SOLDIER logo on the right chest and his SOLDIER boots. Once he was fully dressed he brought out an outfit Kunsel had gotten Cloud.

"Hopefully this will fit you." Zack said, walking into the living room and sitting next to Cloud on the couch.

"Where are we going?" Cloud questioned.

"I wanna go see Aerith again." Zack replied, helping Cloud take off his shirt.

"Why," Cloud asked, his voice muffled by the new shirt being slipped over his head.

"I have to show her the materia that got us into this mess."

"Think she might know something about it?"

"Yeah,"

Zack looked Cloud up and down to admire his work. Cloud was wearing blue jeans, a black short sleeve shirt with a black and blue striped jacket over it and little black tennis shoes.

"Last but not least," Zack said, pulling a black beanie over Cloud's hair.

Zack smiled and carried Cloud into the bathroom and stood him up on the counter in front of the mirror.

"Aww you look so cute!" Zack said cuddling Cloud's head.

"Kunsel got all this?"

"Yup, is he a great shopper or what?"

"I like it." Cloud said with a small smile.

"Does it fit well?"

"Yeah,"

"Alright, you gotta go to the bathroom?" Zack asked with his chin resting on Cloud's head.

"What," Cloud asked shocked.

"Well when we get to Aerith's church and you have to go pee you're screwed.

"No I don't I went before you woke up."

"Are you hungry?"

"Yeah I've been up since nine."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I guess I forgot."

"Hmm well we'll stop and get something on our way there."

Cloud nodded and turned around to face Zack. Zack picked him up and walked into his room to get his cell phone. Once Zack made sure everything was turned off and that he had both his phone and the materia, he headed out the door.

"Alright first things first, we need food."

Zack went to the closest fast food place he could think of and got four cheeseburgers and a large soda to share with Cloud.

"What do think Aerith will know?" Cloud asked after a few minutes of silence.

"If we're lucky, everything," Zack replied, taking a bite of his cheeseburger. "She'll know how to fix this and hopefully she can keep the materia somewhere safe."

They continued to eat their cheeseburgers in silence until Zack spoke up.

"You gonna eat that?" Zack asked pointing to the unopened cheeseburger sitting next to Cloud on the bench they sat on.

"No one was enough for me."

Zack chuckled and started eating his third cheeseburger.

Cloud stared at him in disbelief.

"How can you eat three cheeseburgers? Just thinking of that makes me sick."

"His stomach is a black void!" A voice behind them yelled.

"Hey Zack, who's the kid," Another voice called.

Cloud and Zack turned around to see who was yelling at them. Two of Zack's friends we're walking up to them.

"Hey Sebastian, Essai,"

"Dude who's the kid," Essai asked.

"Heh this is-"

"Dude you never told me you had a kid!" yelled Essai. Zack frowned.

"I don't, this is-"

"Your little brother,"

"Essai shut up," Sebastian said smacking him in the back of his head.

"This is Cloud,"

"Wait the same Cloud you've been training?"

"Yes,"

"The same Cloud you asked to move in with you?"

"Yup,"

"The same Cloud you look after?"

"Ah herr,"

"The same Cloud you talk about all the time?"

"Yeah,"

"The same Cloud you have a-"

"Essai shut up before I hit you harder!" Sebastian yelled, hitting Essai in the back of the head again.

"There is no way that kid is in Shin-Ra!" Essai yelled, giving Sebastian an evil look.

"He is it's just that this materia turned him into a baby and he's slowly growing up again and this is where he's at now." Zack explained.

"Bull crap,"

"You mean the youth materia is real?" Sebastian asked.

"Yeah, have you read about it?" Zack asked.

"Yes but I didn't think it was real."

"Neither did we,"

"Dude this kid is giving me a weird look." Essai said out of the blue. He was staring at Cloud intently.

"I would too if I had to look at your weird ass." said Sebastian.

"Hey just cause I'm hot doesn't mean you can be mean."

"You're where a black tank top that hangs too low for a man to wear, a yellow band on your right bicep, piercings on your lip, tongue and eyebrow, random ass straps on you pants, and a pink streak in your black hair." Sebastian listed off, looking to his right.

Essai got on his tiptoes to get close to Sebastian's face and made a suggestive smile.

"What,"

"You must really be paying attention to me to have listed that off without looking at me."

"Dude you wear the same thing everyday!" Zack pointed out.

"Yeah but I'm hot so it's ok!" Essai said, flexing.

"You are the weirdest man I've ever seen." Sebastian said turning his back on them.

"**You're** the weirdest man **I've** ever seen!" Essai yelled, pointing his finger at Sebastian.

"How is he the weirdest person you've ever seen?" Zack asked.

"Just look at him! When we're not in our SOLDIER outfits he has on that big brown jacket and those damned blue jeans!" Essai replied, using overdramatic hand signs.

"This is what normal people wear." Sebastian said, scratching the small amount of stubble on his chin.

"Well it's boring,"

"Hey we gotta go, see ya guys later." Zack said, picking up Cloud and their soda and heading towards Aerith's church.

When Zack made it to Aerith's church he was surprised to find her sitting on the stairs with a few kids around her.

"Hey Aerith," Zack called.

Aerith looked up and smiled and waved them over.

"What's going on?" Zack asked.

"Mother Aerith is telling us a story." A little boy explained.

"Mother Aerith?" Zack questioned.

"They say I'm like a mother." Aerith said smiling.

"Weird, so what story ya tellen 'em?"

"The day you fell through my roof." She giggled.

The kids laughed and Zack made a nervous smile.

"Yeah, sorry about that,"

Aerith finished her story to the kids and told them that she couldn't tell them another story that day.

"What is it," she asked Zack after she told the kids the bad news.

"Oh I was wondering if you could take a look at the youth materia."

Aerith nodded and walked inside the church with Zack fallowing behind. When they were at the front of the church Aerith sat down on the first pew. Zack sat Cloud in between him and Aerith and gave him the soda to hold.

"Here," Zack said, handing Aerith the materia.

"We already know it's a low level materia. What else do you want to know?"

"Maybe, if you could, find someway to cure Cloud?"

Cloud looked up at the sound of his name.

"I can try. I can't promise you anything though."

Cloud looked at Aerith then to Zack.

"What," he asked Zack.

"Hmm, oh don't worry Spiky." Zack reassured.

Cloud went back to drink the soda and playing with a rock he found on the pew.

"Alright, give me a few minutes and I'll see what I can come up with." Aerith turned so she was facing forward and closed her eyes so she could focus on the materia.

Zack stared at her for a moment then turned his attention to Cloud.

"Hey, how ya doen?" He asked in a quiet voice so as to not disturb Aerith.

Cloud looked up and smiled.

"Good,"

"Haven fun?" Zack asked, chuckling.

Cloud gave him a confused look.

"Your rock?" Zack

Cloud showed a look or realization and a looked at the rock in his hands.

"I just picked it up."

"We should keep it."

"Why,"

"We could keep him as a pet."

Cloud looked at him like he was crazy. Zack smiled then laughed as Cloud looked at the rock again.

"Zack please, if you want me to help you then you need to be quiet. I can't focus." Aerith said looking at him wearily.

"Oh right, sorry." Zack said smiling apologetically.

She smiled back and went back to the task at hand.

"Come on let's go outside and wait so we don't disturb her." Zack offered in a low voice.

"You mean so **you **don't disturb her." Cloud said giggling.

"You're lucky you're cute or else I'd do something to you."

"Yeah right, you always mess with me."

"Cause you're so cute!" Zack said picking up Cloud and cuddling him.

"Let go," Cloud quietly protested.

"**Let's** go,"

Zack walked outside with Cloud and sat on the stairs.

"Ah feels kinda nice ya know."

Cloud laid his head on Zack's chest and nodded.

"You tired?"

"Well I did get up at nine."

"Are you gonna hold that against me forever?"

"I'll try not to." Cloud yawned.

The two of them sat on the stairs for a while, Zack holding Cloud and gently rocking back and fourth, while Aerith remained inside concentrating.

When Aerith came outside to get Zack she found him laying on his back with Cloud asleep on his stomach.

Aerith didn't want to disturb them but she had tell Zack what she had figured out.

"Zack," Aerith said in a soft voice shaking Zack's shoulder.

"I didn't steal it…" Zack mumbled out.

"Steal what?"

"The thingy I… put the thingy in the thingy an I… what?"

"What are you talking about?" Aerith giggled.

"…I have no idea."

"Come inside, I have something to tell you."

Zack nodded and carefully got up, maneuvering Cloud as to not to wake him up in the process.

When the three of them made it back to the first pew in the church, Aerith sat down and watched Zack as sat down next to her holding his precious sleeping blonde.

"Oh um I just remembered something," Zack started. "This morning when I got up I started talking to Cloud and the time when he didn't pass his Shin-Ra exam came up. When he asked me what I was talking about I wondered if it was an effect of the materia."

"That's part of what I wanted to tell you. I couldn't find anything that would help tell us how to save him. I did however figure out that Cloud's memories are slowly disappearing."

"Why,"

"I think it's because he is being forced to grow up so fast. If the materia was stronger Cloud would grow up slower."

"So he doesn't have enough time for all of his memories to be remembered?"

"…yeah," Aerith said with a smile. "Amazing Zack, normally you wouldn't be able to figure something out like that."

"Well this is pretty serious." Zack said returning a small smile.

Aerith nodded and looked at Cloud who was still sleeping.

"If I can fix this, will his memories be returned?" Zack asked in a low voice, looking at the sleeping blonde.

"They should, and I know you can save him. If it's anyone it's you."

"Did you learn that from the materia?" Zack asked sarcastically.

Aerith giggled.

"No, I believe in you and so does Cloud. You have to stay strong and positive."

"I usually am aren't I?" Zack asked with a smile.

Aerith smiled back then looked at the little blonde who was slowly moving. They watched him for a few seconds only to realize he was just turning to cuddle up to Zack's chest. After a few minute of watching him Zack's phone started ringing, the loud noise echoing off the church walls.

Zack quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone to silence the noise.

"Zack speaking,"

"I know you are going to hate me for this but I could really care less about how you feel about me." Sephiroth said from the other line.

"What is it?"

"I have to send you out on a mission."

"Sephiroth what the hell, you know what's going on right now I can't just go! "

"I'm sorry Zackary but we need more people to go out and right know you're the only person I can send out. Besides this isn't just some easy second class mission."

"Then send two second class people, that should make a level zero soldier and that would make it a thousand times easier to handle the problem!"

"I have no idea where you get your logic but it's wrong. We can't do that Zackary now just get back here and accept your mission."

"Whatever you say asshole," Zack yelled into the phone, causing Cloud to twitch against Zack's chest.

Zack looked down quickly with concern.

"Is everything okay?" Aerith questioned quietly while reaching over to softly rub Clouds back.

"Sephiroth wants to send me out on a mission." Zack said in sad voice.

"Does he know about Cloud?"

"Yeah, I mean he was the first person I went to when this whole thing happened! Besides he knows how worried I am about the whole thing."

"What are you going to do?"

"The only thing I can do Aer, Can you watch him for me till I get back? Please you're my only choice where I know Cloud will be safe."

"I understand," Aerith said. "Don't worry Zack I'll take care off him."

Zack gave a weak 'thank you' smile and carefully got up.

"Thank you Aerith, I'll leave him here with you and go get an outfit for him back from Shin-Ra."

Zack, regretfully, left Cloud with Aerith and headed towards Shin-Ra. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, he did, thing was he just didn't want to leave Cloud with anyone. In a way he could say that he didn't trust Aerith. It was hard for him to explain to even himself.

XxXxXxXxXxX Hit me up on Myspace! .com/cz_child xXxXxXxXxXxX

When Zack made it back to Shin-Ra he headed straight to his room and grabbed a Shin-Ra duffle bag and put a few things he thought Cloud would like. He put in three outfits for Cloud to wear just incase he was gone for longer than one day and a picture of the two of them when they had gone to a carnival together.

Zack looked at the picture for what seemed like an eternity. He smiled and placed it under neither the clothes so Aerith couldn't find it. He thought she might think he was a little weird for putting in a picture of himself and Cloud. Even if she didn't he didn't want her to know about it though.

He grabbed his own bag and packed it with his own this for his mission and headed out the door.

On his way down the hallway, he was stopped by a heavy weight jumping onto his back and nearly knocking him to then floor.

"What the hell?" Zack yelled in surprise.

"Geez Zacky, we're going to have to stop meeting like this! People are going to start getting ideas!" Essai said in Zack's ear, still hanging onto his back.

"People wouldn't get ideas if you wouldn't lung yourself at people." Sebastian said from behind.

"Please I'm so sexy people purposely spread rumors about me banging some other dude. They're just jealous!"

"What ever, get off of him." Sebastian said looking at Essai with a small frown.

"Fine," Essai complied. "Hey where's that kid?"

"I left him with a friend."

"Oh having a sleep over?" Essai said with an over excited face, clapping his hands together.

"No I have to go on a mission so this bag is for me," Zack referred to his own bag. "and this one is for Cloud."

"You're going on a mission while your roommate is a baby!?"

"I have to Sephiroth wont send anybody else out!"

"That's harsh man!"

"Essai let's go, you have to train more." Sebastian said.

"What, no way I've trained enough!" Essai whined, flopping himself on the floor.

"You're hopeless." Sebastian said slinging Essai over his shoulder and heading down the hall.

"Hey wait I'm not done talking to Zacky!" Essai whined flailing around.

"Are you sure you're not gay?" Sebastian asked him.

"I don't know, bye Zack good luck with your fucked up life!" Essai yelled from down the hall.

"Uh yeah," Zack said with a half wave.

"I love you!" Essai yelled after Sebastian and he had rounded a corner.

"Essai shut the hell up!" Sebastian's rough voice could barely be heard in the distance.

"Makes you wonder how they got to be friends."

"Holy shit on sandwich with shingle pieces on top of a dick!" Zack yelled spinning around at the sudden voice.

"What the hell does that mean?" Kunsel said between laughs.

"Sorry you caught me off guard." Zack said rubbing the back of his neck.

Once Kunsel had recomposed himself he looked at Zack with a questioning look.

"Where's Cloud?"

"Oh I left him with Aerith."

"That flower girl in the slums?"

"Yeah, Sephiroth is sending me on a mission even though he knows how worried I am!"

"He had to Zack, all the other First Class SOLDIERs have been sent out on other missions."

"What if he sent multiple Second Classes?"

"The mission you're going on is too dangerous for Second Classes."

"You know what mission I'm going on?"

"Please I'm Kunsel, I know everything Zack."

"You're right, that was a dumb question."

"You're being sent out on a mission to Gongaga, your hometown right?"

"Yeah, but why would they send me there?"

"Something about the reactor there,"

"What's wrong with it?"

"It's been doing too much work in a sense."

"Too much work? Doesn't Shin-Ra need as much power as they can get though?"

"That's what I thought but apparently It's sucking out too much. They don't know what to do with it."

"Weird,"

"Gongaga looks very different."

"What do ya mean?"

"It looks dead, I mean the closer you get the reactor the deader it looks."

"Great, I haven't seen home in so long and now I'm finally getting to see it and it's dead."

"I'm sure that once you figure out what's wrong with it Shin-Ra will fix it an deverything will go back to normal."

"I hope so,"

"Well I have to go, oh one more thing! They said there were some pretty bad monsters around; I guess the reactor has been mutating other things into them."

"Alright thanks,"

"Be careful!"

"I will,"

Zack continued on his way down to the slums to give Aerith the bag he had packed for Cloud.

When Zack got off the train t the slums his phone rang.

"Zack speaking,"

"Hey Zack its Aerith, just come over to my house instead of the church. I went ahead and brought Cloud home so he could sleep in comfy place."

"Alright I'll be there in a little bit."

Zack hung up and started towards Aerith's house. Hopefully her mom wouldn't be there, she despised him. Why he never really knew.

_I think it was something about me working with Shin-Ra._ Zack thought to himself.

Half way to Aerith's house Zack's phone rang again.

_Hope it's not Aerith telling me to go to the church for some reason._

"Zack speaking," Zack answered.

"Where are you?" said Sephiroth's monotone voice.

"Not at Shin-Ra!" Zack yelled into the phone.

"Hurry your ass up," Sephiroth said in an obviously pissed voice.

"Piss off!" Zack yelled again closing his phone.

He continued on his walk and made it to Aerith's house without anymore interrupting phone calls.

When he made it the house he knocked on the door and waited.

Aerith answered it and let him in. Zack took a quick glance around.

"Is your mom here?" He asked in a low voice.

Aerith giggled.

"No she's not."

"Good, she'd probably give me hell about being here."

"Cloud is upstairs in the guest room asleep."

Zack nodded and went up the stairs. Aerith stayed behind and began working on dinner.

Zack quietly opened the door to the spare room and found a little blonde head poking out from under the covers. Zack sat down both duffel bags and quietly walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.

He gently pushed aside a stray piece of blonde hair from the sleeping face.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Sephiroth is sending me out on a mission. I really don't want to go but I have no choice this time."

Cloud whimpered a little and leaned into Zack's touch.

"I don't know how long I'll be gone. Hopefully no longer than just a day, then I can come back and take care of you.

"I packed a few outfits in a bag over in the corner. At the bottom there's a picture I think you might like." He ended with a sad smile.

He leaned forward and kissed the top of Cloud's head and went to get his own bag and left the room, closing the door quietly.

After taking care of his business at the house he left and headed back towards Shin-Ra to leave on his god forsaken mission that was so important it had to separate him and his precious treasure.

Sure it was his home but really the mission didn't sound that bad. He seriously thought a few Second Class SOLDIERs could have taken care of it.

The whole way back only one thing ran through the SOLDIER's head, Cloud.

When Zack made it back to Shin-Ra he went to Sephiroth's office and kicked open the door without any regard as to how it might upset the man. After all he was still pissed.

He stomped in with his head down.

"That was unnecessary Zackary. Go to helicopter pad number-"

"I hate you!" Zack yelled, effectively cutting off Sephiroth's sentence all the while keeping his head down.

"Be that as it may it doesn't change anything."

Zack stomped over to Sephiroth's desk and slammed his hands down, looking up at Sephiroth with angry tears falling down his face.

"How could you?!"

"Don't you care this is your hometown?"

"So what, at this point I could care less!"

"Go to helicopter pad number three."

"I can't believe you." Zack said, straightening and heading towards the door.

"Hate me as much as you want. It will never change you're duties."

"Why the hell don't you go!?" and with that Zack stomped out the room and slamed the door closed behind him.

As Zack made his way towards the helicopter pad he was questioned by many people what was wrong.

When Zack made it into the elevator he freely let his tears fall, no holding back this time. The episode in Sephiroth's office was nothing compared to what he was doing now.

The elevator stopped and its doors opened to reviled Kunsel.

"Zack?" he questioned.

Zack turned his head from the familiar voice and said nothing.

"Hey what happened?"

"I never thought I could hate Sephiroth this much." He chocked out.

"Hey it'll be alright." Kunsel reassured placing a hand on Zack's shoulder.

Zack wiped his eyes and looked at Kunsel.

"Try not to worry so much, Aerith is watching him. I know this is a big problem and everything but it'll be okay."

Zack nodded and gave a small smile in thanks.

"See that's bet-!"

Kunsel was cut off by Zack hugging him tightly.

"Thank you Kunsel."

"Sure," he replied, returning the hug.

When Zack had to get off for the helicopter pad he thanked Kunsel one more time.

The entire ride to Gongaga one thing still played in Zack's mind, Cloud.

**Author's Note:**

Okay once again Sorry for the late post. I'd hate me if I were you to. On the cool side I went over my goal on pages to type. I typed eighteen! It's normally only fifteen.

So like I had a fast start to this the first day I worked on it. I had done seven pages! I was proud! The next day though I just kinda died in effort Sorry.

I just love Essai don't you? He and Sebastian are actually in Crisis Core too. It's one of the D.M.W. cut scenes for Tseng's airplane thing.

Essai was originally going t be like completely screwed up when it can to describe him. Like he was going to be a complete gay! I changed him a lot though.

I don't really know if Aerith's mom really didn't like Zack or what. I asked it on .com and I got an answer but the chick who answered it was like a bitch about it.

Ah well I just love the way I made Kunsel out to be. He's so nice

Like I said add me on MySpace please! I can update you on the fic and give you some pretty useful game information!

I'll try and update soon!


	5. Day 5

Cloud woke up in bed he didn't recognize to be his own, Zack's or Kunsel's. He opened his eyes, sat up and looked around the room.

The first thing he felt was fear. He didn't know where he was after all and how old was he now, five maybe?

Cloud thought back to the events of the previous day. He remembered going to the church and Aerith messing with the materia, Zack and him going outside, and before all that those people Essai and Sebastian. He also remembered falling asleep… on Zack. Cloud's cheeks got bright red.

_I… fell asleep on him. Wait, Zack! I remember having a dream about him. Or was it a dream? It sounded real._

Cloud remembered hearing Zack talking to him. Something about going on a mission and Aerith being there, if that was true and it wasn't a dream, then he must be in Aerith's house.

Cloud's thoughts were interrupted by the door to the room opening and Aerith peeking in.

"You're awake." She said in a cheerful voice with a smile.

Cloud quickly looked up with a worried look on his face.

"Zack?" Aerith questioned carefully. "He went on a mission. You were asleep when he left."

"Like always," a voice said from the hallway.

Aerith turned around and scolded the new speaker.

"Mother Zack isn't like that!"

"Please he leaves any time he gets the chance."

"No, he can't help it..." Cloud whispered from where he sat on the bed.

"Cloud, can you get yourself dressed?" Aerith asked.

"Yeah," was the mumbled response she got.

She nodded and quietly closed the door to the room.

After a few minutes of sitting in silence, Cloud got up and went over to the bag against the wall.

He pulled out the contents inside and laid them on the floor. He looked for the outfit that looked closest to his current body length. The one he found to be best was an orange long sleeve shirt with a thick red stripe on the sleeves near his biceps, some blue jeans and some white shoes.

When he went to put up the rest of the clothes he heard something fall. He looked at the floor and found a piece of paper upside down. He picked it up and smiled. The picture was one he and Zack were very fond of.

It was the two of them at a carnival together. It was the first time Cloud would really consider himself happy while at Shin-Ra. That was when he and Zack really got to know each other. It was probably the time when Cloud really began to like Zack.

Cloud put the picture back in the bag under the clothes so Aerith wouldn't find it. He had a feeling that Zack had told him that he put the picture in there. Besides something about Aerith finding the picture didn't seem right in Cloud's mind. He didn't know why, it was just one of those things.

Once Cloud felt that everything was figured out and hidden he headed downstairs where the smell of pancakes, bacon, and sausage filled the room. The smell was upstairs too but not as strong.

Cloud hadn't had a proper meal in ages. All he had to eat was the crap Shin-Ra food and the take Zack order on a daily bases. It was a huge surprise they were both skinny. Especially Zack with how much he eats. Then again the mako in his system more than likely passed as a fast metabolism.

When Cloud reached the bottom of the stairs he looked around the house and found hat there were many flowers in vases.

_Defiantly Aerith's home, as if her presence wasn't enough of a clue. _Cloud thought to himself.

"Cloud why don't you sit at the table, I'll make you a plate." Aerith said smiling at him.

Cloud gave a small nod and walked over to the kitchen table where Aerith's mother sat reading the Midgar newspaper.

"So he left you too." She mumbled from behind it.

"Shut up," Cloud said under his breath.

"Excuse me dear?"

"Shut up, Zack would never do that to me!" Cloud yelled, covering his ears.

Aerith and Elmyra looked at him with shock written all over their faces.

"He would never do that, never! So what if he left Aerith, I know he won't do it to me!" Cloud continued.

He got up put of the chair and ran out of the house.

"Cloud!" Aerith called after him.

"Leave him be, he's just like him."

"Mother he's nothing like Zack! Besides Zack isn't like that, how many times do I have to say it?" Aerith hurried out the door to chase after Cloud but couldn't find him anywhere. She ran towards the main area of the slums to see if she could find Cloud there.

When Cloud stopped running he found himself at a busy area full of shops and people.

_Market Street, well now I have a gist to where in the slums Aerith lives._ Cloud thought to himself.

He continued to walk around looking at the stores and browsing a few that caught his interest. After a while he sat down on a bench and watched people walk by. He wondered what Zack was doing and what was so important that he had to go on a mission during a time like this.

"You seem to be little young to be traveling alone in place like this." A voice said, musing Cloud out of his thoughts.

Cloud looked up to see a young woman with long blonde hair smiling down at him. There was another girl standing next to her with a short black Mohawk with green stripe in it and one ear bud hanging out an ear.

Cloud stared at them for a minute, not sure whether to trust them or not. The one with the long hair seemed nice enough but looks could deceive.

"You seem to be little old to be talking to a little kid." Cloud finally said looking away.

The girl was at a loss for words while the other next to her couldn't stop laughing.

"Oh dude he totally got you!" she said in between laughs.

"Are you lost?" The other final said.

"No, I and I don't need you!" Cloud said getting up and walking away.

"Wow wait a minute kid! You may be a slums kid you're way too young to be wondering here alone!" The one with the Mohawk yelled after him.

_Great they're fallowing me…_ Cloud thought.

"Fay wait," Called the other girl.

Fay, Cloud presumed was her name, stepped in front off Cloud, effectively halting him in his tracks.

Just as fast as she had appeared though, she** disappeared**.

"You leave him alone you child molester!" a voice yelled below Cloud.

Cloud looked down to find that Fay had been tackled to the ground by Essai.

_No not him to…_

"Fay are you all right?" asked the other girl from Cloud's right.

"Who the hell do you think you are tackling a girl in public like that you ass?" yelled Fay.

"Who the hell do **you** think **you** are molesting a five year old?" yelled back Essai.

"Essai!" came Sebastian's rough voice from the right.

He was running over to the group to pull Essai off of Fay.

"Essai what is wrong with you?" Sebastian said; holding him with one arm against his waist.

"She was molesting Cloud!" he yelled, flailing around and growling.

"Keep your stupid dog on a leash!" yelled Fay getting gin Essai's face.

Essai growled loudly and lashed his hand out. Fay pulled her face back quickly stuck her tongue out at him.

"Hey you have a tongue piercing too?" Essai asked.

"Too?"

"Yeah I have one see?" Essai showed her his piercing to confirm his statement.

"Cool!" she yelled.

Sebastian dropped Essai on the ground and looked over at the quiet girl that had a slight confused expression on.

"He has ADHD; it can't really be helped half the time."

"Fay does too. Hers isn't as bad as his though."

"Cloud, where is he?"

"Who?"

"The kid you two found."

"Oh, his name's Cloud?"

"Yes, now where is he?"

"He was here a few seconds ago."

Cloud had managed to sneak off while Sebastian had pulled Essai off of Fay. He was hiding behind a wall watching them. He hid completely behind the wall after a few seconds and released his held breath.

"Exciting isn't it?" a voice asked from his right.

Cloud jumped and fell on his butt at the sudden voice. He quickly looked up and saw Sebastian staring down at him with his normal stern face.

Cloud tried to run away but was picked up before he could get anywhere.

"No let me go!" he yelled.

"Zack wants you to be safe, if you're going to run off then you aren't really being safe."

Sebastian walked over to the group of people waiting for him and sat Cloud on the ground next to Essai and Fay.

"My apologies, I didn't catch your name miss." Sebastian said turning to the girl with the long hair.

"Oh I'm Aura Lee and that's Fay."

"I'm Sebastian and that idiot is Essai. We greatly appreciate you looking after our runaway."

"Runaway?"

"He belongs to Shin-Ra, we were asked to protect him."

"What do you mean?"

"It's hard to-"

"No way!" Fay yelled in the middle of Sebastian's sentence.

"Fay," Aura Lee scolded.

"Dude that kid is supposed to be a sixteen year old!"

"What are you talking about?" Aura Lee asked.

"Essai just told me!"

"Essai, did it ever occur to you that not everyone needs to know about this?" Sebastian asked in a stern voice.

"No," he stated flatly. "But I trust her, she's freaking bitchen!"

"Yeah besides what am I going to do? Go to the news stations and say 'Holy shit, check this out!' and tell them?"

"This is important to a friend of ours and we need to keep it-"

"On the D-L yo!" Essai interrupted.

"I'm still a little lost." Aura Lee said in small voice looking at Sebastian.

Sebastian explained what was going on in low voice to Aura Lee so no one else could hear. She found it a little shocking at first but then later found it quite believable. She thought about the Youth Materia that was said to be a legend.

"Was it the Youth Materia?" she asked Sebastian.

"Yeah you're as smart as he is!" Essai yelled.

"So he really is a sixteen year old?"

"Yes, unfortunately a friend of ours found the materia and didn't know what it was. He activated it by accident and the cost was Cloud's appearance." Sebastian clarified.

Cloud had tuned them all out and was working on an escape plan. So far he had come up with running like hell and never looking back, just like in Neiblhiem.

_Sebastian is in SOLDIER though and he caught me last time so that couldn't work. It's no use sitting here though. One more shot!_ And with that Cloud took off again.

"Hey Cloud come back!" yelled Essai from where he sat on the ground.

"Again?" Sebastian mumbled under his voice.

Aura Lee, Fay and Essai watched as Sebastian took off after Cloud. Cloud had managed a good distance until he sensed Sebastian coming up behind him. He did exactly what he said he wouldn't do and looked over his right shoulder to see him on his tail. Cloud thought quickly and came up with only one solution. He quickly put his plan into action.

Sebastian was about to grab Cloud when all of sudden he disappeared. Sebastian stopped and became momentarily confused.

"Where the hell…"

"Behind you!" Essai yelled.

Sebastian quickly turned around and saw Cloud rounding a corner. He quickly ran around the corner and looked for Cloud. It was a dead end alleyway.

Sebastian sighed and walked out of the alley to join the group.

"Hey where is he?" Fay asked Sebastian.

"I don't know." He said looking around them.

"Dude that kid is slick!" Essai yelled. "He was running and you were chasing right? Then he like did this weird ass sideways backward dodge roll thing and got behind you!"

"He couldn't have come up with that and executed it perfectly on the first try could he?" Aura Lee asked Sebastian.

"At Shin-Ra he's only an infantryman and they don't teach anything like that at that level." Sebastian informed.

"You guys are in SOLDIER?" Fay asked.

"Oh yeah did we leave that out?" Essai asked.

"A little!" Fay yelled.

"Why are you guys down here?" Aura Lee asked.

"Eh we had some free time!" Essai replied with a wave of his hand.

"Something's up with that kid. How could he know how to move like that?"

"Maybe Zack taught him." Essai suggested.

"No it's too childish, not a proper move to be taught to SOLDIERS." Sebastian said thinking.

"Well there's no use staying here! Let's go find him!" Fay yelled getting up and grabbing Aura Lee's hand.

"You and Essai go look that way," Fay instructed, pointing towards some shops. "We'll look over there."

"You're giving two SOLDIERS instructions?" Sebastian questioned her.

"Hell yeah bitches!" Fay yelled and took off in the other direction with Aura Lee in tow.

"I want to know about his past." Sebastian then said.

"Why?" Essai questioned.

"How would he know how to do that?"

"Why does it matter?"

"Essai, remember you're suppose to analyze every detail you are given about a situation. Even if you aren't given any information about your problem look around you and find details. You can learn a lot just by examining your surroundings and what is going on around you."

"Like I'm going to remember all of that!" Essai complained.

"How did you become a SOLDIER and not know that?"

"I don't know you taught me, so I guess it's your fault."

"Let's go." Sebastian said shaking his head.

When Zack had finally made it to Gongaga the first thing he wanted to do was get back on the truck and ride back to the helicopter and ride that home to Cloud. However, he also wanted to stop be his house and pay his parents a visit. Then again if he just skipped them and hurried up and did the mission, he could get to Cloud sooner. Though he was pretty sure his parents had probably heard about a SOLDIER coming to the village to check out the mako reactor so skipping a visit with them was highly unlikely.

After weighing his options he sighed and decided to go with "walking into town and seeing what went down from there".

He walked into town and immediately got a bunch of looks.

_Geez Kunsel was right. The closer you get to the reactor the deader everything looks. Other than that I don't really think much has changed_._ I see everyone still hate Shin-Ra…_ Zack thought to himself.

"Hey Shin-Ra dog!" A kid yelled.

"Shin-Ra dog?" Zack mumbled, turning around to look at the kid. "Ow!" and down he went.

"Ezekiel!" yelled a woman's voice.

"Ow that's goanna leave a mark." Zack said rubbing his forehead. "Who throws rocks at SOLDIERS?"

Zack sat up and looked at the kid who threw the rock. His mother was scolding him and told him to apologize.

"No way he's just a dog of the military! It's his fault our village is the way it is!"

"Hey I'm here to help! This is-"

"Shut up!" yelled the kid, throwing another rock and hitting Zack in the same spot as the last one. This throw had a little more force put into it.

"Ezekiel Laurence Granger!" yelled the boy's mom again.

"Hey what the heck is your problem kid?" yelled Zack from where he sat on the ground.

"You, we don't need you here!" Ezekiel yelled back.

"Yes you do! If I don't help then who else will! I was born here don't you think I care!"

Just then another rock was thrown, this time it hit Zack in the back of the head.

"Who the hell…!" Zack trailed off when he turned around to see that an older looking man had thrown the rock.

"I knew they would send you, I just had a feeling. Not to mention that theory was proven true by your fat mouth. I swear you'll never change boy. I could hear you a mile away!"

Zack was frozen in his place. To have that man, of all people throw a rock at him!

"What's the matter Toxic Frog got your tongue?"

Once Cloud was sure that everyone had gone on their search he slid out from behind the trash can he was hiding behind. He cautiously peeked out from the alley and looked around.

_I don't see them anywhere… They must be farther off._

Cloud walked out into the open and started heading in a random direction.

_Let's see they'll probably check the park since I'm a kid. Where else would they look? Places that sell toys, ice cream shops, candy shops, what else? If they know where Aerith lives then- oh crap she's probably looking for me too!_

With the newly remember information Cloud put his guard up higher than it already was. If Aerith was out looking for him then she would probably have a higher chance of finding him since she knew him a little better than the other four.

_Geez it's like a thief and the police…_

"Cloud!" yelled Essai's voice

"Shit!" was Cloud's reply

"Five year old Cloud said a no-no word!" Essai yelled to Sebastian, who was standing right next to him.

"Who cares just get him!"

_No way! I should have just hid in the alley till dark had I known this was my fate!_

Essai's laughter could be heard from behind him. He made another quick plan on how to lose them.

_Ok big group, big group, big group!_

Cloud found a big group of people bunched around a store that was having an auction of some sort and ran through them.

"This kid is smarter than I judged." Sebastian said.

"Never judge a book by its cover my friend!" Essai replied.

"Where is he?"

"I can't see! Oh idea! Put me on your shoulders so I can see over everyone!"

Sebastian stared at Essai with a 'you just wan to see what their auctioning so no' look on.

"Hurry or he'll get away!"

Sebastian sighed and picked Essai up and put him on his shoulders.

"Do you see him?"

"Hold on, hold on give me a second!"

"Hurry,"

"Oh look at that painting! We should get it! Ten gil back here!"

"Ten gil going once!" yelled you auctioneer.

"Essai, this is why I knew it was a bad idea! You have a shorter attention span than Zack!"

"One hundred gil!" yelled a person.

"Shit I only have one hundred ten!"

"One hundred ten going once!"

"Essai shut up!" Sebastion yelled.

"Two hundred gil!"

"Two hundred going once, twice!"

"One- Wow!"

Sebastian tossed Essai in the air off of his shoulders and caught him in his arms.

"You need to learn when to shut up! You don't even have ten gil!"

"I don't even have one!"

"You don't have any gil and you just about bet one thousand?"

"Yeah that about sums it up."

"You're an idiot."

Sebastian went to put Essai on the ground but Essai made his legs go limp and fell on him.

"Stand up you moron!" Sebastian grunted.

"Oh no my legs are broke." Essai said in a dull voice. "…carry me."

"You're hopeless!" Sebastian said putting Essai on his back.

Sebastian ran in the direction he thought Cloud went in, leaving a bunch of people staring at them.

On the other side of the slums Aura Lee and Fay weren't having any luck.

"Why are we helping them?" Aura Lee asked.

"Geez I thought you were the nice and helpful one." Fay replied.

"I am and I want to help, I'm just wondering why you want to."

"Well that kid is pretty tricky, they may be in SOLDIER but let's face it, SOLDIERS don't know anything about babies, if they wan to catch him then their going to need a women's help!"

"I suppose so, but he doesn't seem to want to be caught."

"What do you mean?"

"Think back, we caught him twice and he ran off after words, even when we were chasing him he kept running."

"So should we just find those two and tell them to leave him alone?"

"He's way too little to wondering alone. Even if he doesn't want us to find him we have to look for him."

"You know what we should do."

"What?"

"Ask people if they have seen him."

"Why haven't we done that?"

"I have no idea. It does seem like the smartest thing to do though."

"I guess you're beating me at being smart."

"If that's true then the world is going to end!"

Aura Lee and Fay asked a few people if they had seen Cloud. They all said no.

"I got all nos." Fay said.

"Me too, I guess it's smart to say he hasn't made his way over here yet." Aura Lee concluded.

"So should we find Essai and Sebastian and tell them?"

"I guess."

"Well let's go find 'em."

Aura Lee and Fay headed towards the part of the slums that Fay sent Sebastian and Essai to, all the way keeping their eyes peeled for Cloud.

When they finally found them Sebastian was caring a sleeping Essai on his back.

"Why are you caring him?" Fay asked.

"It's a long story." Sebastian replied.

"We didn't find him." Aura Lee said.

"Yeah we looked every where and even asked a few people if they had seen him." Fay said.

"Essai and I found him but he ran off into a crowd before we could grab him." Sebastian explained.

"So seriously why are you caring him?" Fay asked. "We have some time you know."

Sebastian sighed and readjusted Essai on his back. She did have a point though. If they took a break Cloud might think that they weren't after him.

"When Cloud ran into the crowd Essai started to whine about not being able to see over anyone, so he told me to put him on my shoulders. I knew it was a bad idea from the start but I did it anyway." Sebastian started before being cut off.

"Wait why did you put him on your shoulders if you knew it was a bad idea?" Fay asked.

"He put up a good argument saying that he could see Cloud from being higher up, however; due to his short attention span he immediately forgot why he was there in the first place and began bidding on some painting they were auctioning."

"When did he get distracted?" Fay asked.

"Right when he got up there." Sebastian mumbled under his breath, turning his head slightly to look at said person.

"Ha, He's drooling on your shoulder!" Fay laughed. "So how much did he bid?"

"Fay, that has nothing to do with the situation at hand." Aura Lee commented quietly.

"So I wanna know!" Fay said, putting her arms behind her head.

Sebastian used the sleeve of his jacket to wipe some of the drool off Essai's mouth and his shoulder.

"Ten gil then one hundred, he was about to say one thousand but then I threw him off my shoulders." Sebastian said, readjusting Essai again.

"You threw him?" Aura Lee asked in shock.

"Not literally." Sebastian said with a small apologetic smile.

"Yeah if he actually threw him he might be dead. You're strong huh Seb?" Fay said.

"Seb?" Sebastian questioned.

"Just a nickname you know." she said smiling with her arms still behind her head.

"Sure," Sebastian said with a confused look. "Let's try and look for Cloud again."

"Yeah," Fay said pumping her fists in the air.

Sebastian carefully set Essai on a nearby bench.

"He's a bit of a problem though." He said.

"I'll stay here with him." Aura Lee offered.

"Are you sure?" Sebastian asked.

Aura Lee nodded.

"Don't worry it's fine." She reassured.

"It's getting dark so you and I won't look for too long." Sebastian said to Fay.

"Right," she said with a nod. "Let's go!"

They split in different directions and left Aura Lee sitting with Essai waiting for their return.

Sebastian spent most of his search getting a look from higher up. He stood on rooftops, jumped to new rooftops and above all got yelled at a couple times for being an 'idiot' as some would more than likely describe it. If they knew why he was being an 'idiot' he probably wouldn't be one.

After a few minutes he found Cloud walking into a fighting arena.

_That's probably not good._ Sebastian mentally judged.

He snuck inside without Cloud noticing him and kept a close eye on him. Cloud seemed to be there only for the entertainment. He didn't look like he was enjoying himself too much.

_These people suck._ Cloud thought to himself. _Zack is way better than all of them. Heck I bet even I am._

Cloud looked around to see if there were any other people who looked like they were worth staying to watch. None of them caught Cloud's attention.

_Well this is lame. Guess I'll just… Man what am I suppose to do? I don't want to go to Aerith's and I don't want to go back to those Sebastian and Essai people. What ever Aerith's it is. Zack asked her to watch me right? No use hurting him anymore than he probably already is._

Cloud left the arena and headed towards a park he could see in the distance. Sebastian quietly fallowed behind, watching every move like a cat chasing a mouse.

Once Cloud made it to the park he thought about sleeping there for the night.

_Maybe not…_ he thought to himself after seeing a couple making out on the jungle gym. _I'd never do that…_

Cloud headed down a stretch of street and eventually found a path that seemed familiar. He continued to walk it until he reached a house that looked like Aerith's

_Definitely Aerith's house…_ he thought, looking at the two raised places of dirt holding flowers. _I guess I never noticed them before._

Sebastian silently hid in the dark watching Cloud. When Cloud climbed up the steep stairs leading to the first raised piece of ground Sebastian waited for a good 30 minutes before quietly going to check up on him.

At first he couldn't find him, he then moved a few flowers in a random spot and found them hiding Cloud.

Sebastian smiled and let the flowers go back to their new job of hiding Cloud.

_He'll be fine for now. _Sebastian thought. _Now to get back to my sleeping problem._

Sebastian made his way back to where he left Aura Lee and Essai and found Fay there talking with Aura Lee. Essai was still asleep and had his head resting on her shoulder.

"So he drools on my shoulder but not yours?" He asked.

"Did you find him?" Fay asked in worried tone.

"Yeah don't worry he's fine where he is."

Sebastian walked over to were Essai was sitting and picked him. He managed to get him onto his back without any help and told the two girls thank you for their help.

"Hey call us if you ever want to hang out!" Fay said, handing Sebastian a piece of paper with their names and a number.

Sebastian nodded and headed towards Shin-Ra. When he made it to the facility he went straight to his and Essai's shared second class apartment and dropped Essai on his bed.

"Ow…" Came a muffled moan.

"How long have you been awake?" Sebastian asked.

"You just woke me up." He mumbled.

"Why do you drool on me when you sleep but no one else?" Sebastian questioned, looking at his jacket shoulder. There was a new drool spot on it.

"I do?" Essai asked, sitting up. "I don't know…"

"Go to sleep." Sebastian said, turning to leave the room.

"Wait did you find Cloud?" Essai asked while grabbing Sebastian's jacket sleeve.

"Don't worry, he's fine."

Essai didn't let Sebastian's sleeve go. Instead he pulled on it.

"Will you sleep with me?" he asked.

"What?" Came Sebastian's startled reply.

"Will you sleep with me? Please?" Essai asked again with a small smile.

"Why would I want to sleep with you when I can sleep alone?"

"Please my bed is really comfy!" Essai said bouncing up and down.

"If I do will you shut up?" Sebastian said looking away.

"Yeah, just let me take these out." Essai said excitedly. He began to take his piercings, shoes, shirt and pants off while Sebastian sat on the bed and took off his jacket, boots, and shirt.

Essai flopped back on the bed and smiled up at Sebastian who was staring at him with a brow raised.

"Why did you take your pants off?" He questioned. "You plan on getting lucky or something?"

"No, it's just hard to sleep with all those straps on. Besides I'd hate to have one of them strangle me in the night or something." He said laughing.

Essai's laugh was cut off by Sebastian's had over his mouth. Essai opened his eyes and looked at Sebastian's face, which was a few inches away from his own.

"Be quiet." Was all he said before he laid down next to him.

"You're so serious!" Essai whined flopping himself on Sebastian's chest.

"You're so loud." Sebastian replied.

Essai smiled and kissed him on the nose.

"Night Sebby!"

"Sebby?" Sebastian mumbled.

He watched as Essai eventually fell asleep on his chest with the same stupid smile on.

**Author's Note:**

Yes! I went over my goal again! This is eighteen pages! Ph check out my new poll on my profile. I need you readers to help me!

Cloud wasn't really in this one too much; Sebastian and Essai were like in all of it though. That's ok we like them though right?

How did you guys like Fay and Aura Lee? I love Fay. Just like a female Essai but with a stronger attention span.

Essai's ADHD is about as bad as mine xD. ADHD means Attention Deficit Hyperactive Dissorder. It's when someone is hyper like all the time and can't really stay focused on anything. Really makes school hard. If you need an example check out how Ty Pennington, that dude has ADHD to the wall!

I would also like to know how you guys found my story. It would mean a lot to me to know if someone told you about it or if you just found it.

Review please!

**Thanks…**

howlingwolf201

victoria92179

natcat5

lady-yuna7 Final Fantasy X kicks ass!

animechix112

TheSuperBanana

Dragi

Swallows a lot xD great name!

Cannibal-Muffin23 also a great name xD

Optimistic-Pessimistz

Isisx


	6. Day 6

Cloud woke up to a noise next to him. He didn't know what it was and didn't really care about finding out what it was. It did freak him out a little though.

_Maybe if I just lay here it'll go away. _He thought sleepily.

The noise eventually stopped and Cloud found himself falling back into an easy slumber.

~X~

Sebastian set Essai's alarm before he fell asleep for three thirty. Sebastian planned on getting up earlier than necessary to see if Cloud was ok.

When the alarm went off Sebastian heard a loud groan from his right and a dew mumbled cuss words.

"Wha the hell the alarm on?!" Came Essai's mumbled yell.

"Shut up," Sebastian said in a low voice, sitting up to turn off the alarm.

"Why would you get up so early?" Essai whined sitting up on his knees, rubbing his eyes.

Sebastian chuckled at how childish Essai looked.

"I want to see if Cloud is okay." He said ruffling Essai's already severely messed up hair.

Essai looked at his clock for a few moments before his brain finally processed what it was looking at.

"That's a clock…" he started.

"Yes, can you read it?" Sebastian asked with a small smile.

"Mhmm, uh it's… too early." Essai finally determined, flopping his face into a pillow.

"If you want you can stay here." Sebastian offered.

"No! Don't leave me!" Essai whined throwing himself in Sebastian's lap.

"Then you should get up." Sebastian said in a slightly irritated voice.

"I don't wanna!" Essai whined in a high voice.

"Make up your mind." Sebastian said sighing.

"Carry me?" Essai asked in an innocent voice, faking a pout.

"No," Sebastian said flatly. He got up and headed into the kitchen.

"Please?" Essai asked again, tailing right behind him.

"No Essai." Sebastian said irritation evident in his voice.

"Oh come on!" Essai whined more.

"Essai shut up before I make you." Sebastian growled over his fresh cup of coffee.

"Oh kinky!"

"Essai shut up!"

"Fine, fine calm down."

"I'm going to leave you here…"

"No you can't!"

"Then go get dressed!"

"Fine!"

After the small argument, Essai finally got dressed. Once the two were finally ready to head out it was around four.

"That took longer than expected." Sebastian muttered after closing the door to his and Sebastian apartment.

"Are you trying to say that this is my fault?" Essai questioned.

"Yes now shut up before you wake up everybody."

Essai started to say a comeback but was interrupted by a yawn.

"Man I don't even think the General Sephiroth himself gets up this early."

"Essai by now everyone on Shin-Ra grounds is up."

"Well maybe getting up. This is the time I normally get up."

"Then why are you whining?"

"I don't know maybe because it's Sunday!"

"You should be used to getting up early no matter what day it is."

"Yeah well I'm not…"

Sebastian led Essai to the spot he had seen Cloud fall asleep at and told him to be quiet. If Cloud was still there Sebastian would just cheek up on him and leave. If he wasn't there then the two of them would have to go find him.

"What if he got kidnapped or something?" Essai asked.

"Then we go look for him now be quiet."

Sebastian and Essai snuck over to where Cloud had fallen asleep and found the little blonde in the same spot as the night before.

"Look at all these flowers." Essai exclaimed.

"Shut up before you wake him up." Sebastian scolded.

"Sorry,"

Cloud stirred and made a noise. Sebastian looked down at him and quickly turned his head to Essai giving him a "be quiet before I kill you" look. Essai put on a nervous look and shrugged his shoulders. When Cloud didn't move or make any new noises, Sebastian quietly walked over to where Essai had wondered off and grabbed his wrist. The two left the sleeping blonde and headed back towards Shin-Ra.

"You're just goanna leave him there!?" Essai yelled at Sebastian.

"He'll be fine. I highly doubt anyone will go there looking for some sleeping kid."

~X~

"I still can't believe you threw a rock at your own son!" yelled an older looking woman.

Zack was sitting at the kitchen table of his childhood home. After the whole rock throwing incident that happened upon his arrival just the day before, Zack was taken home by the older looking man who had thrown the third rock.

"I still can't believe you threw a rock at your own son." A woman said from the kitchen of the small house.

"I needed to get the boys attention so I just did what everyone else was doing." Came a gruff voice.

"It doesn't- what everyone else was doing!?" the woman yelled angrily.

"Oh calm down woman, Ezekiel only threw two rocks. Kids got a good aim on him! Hit Zack in the same spot both times!" The man exclaimed, chuckling.

"He always has been a little bit of a trouble maker…" the woman said sighing.

Zack listened quietly to the conversation while lightly rubbing his sore forehead. He was busy thinking about Cloud even though he had just gotten off the phone with him.

_I have to hurry and finish this mission and get back to him._ He thought. _Alright, I'll just go to the reactor this morning, see what's going on, report it to Sephiroth and see what he says, and id I get the okay I'll head back to Shin-Ra and take care of little Cloudy!_

Zack finished his thought with a nod and a smile and stood up from the table causing the chair he was sitting in to scrape against the floor.

"Where are going sweetie?" the woman from before asked, poking her head out from the kitchen. Her dark hair was tied back in a small ponytail and she was wearing an orange dress with a white apron on the front. Her face showed times of hard

"Huh, oh don't worry mum I'm just heading to the reactor. I was sent here to see why it's acting so weird." Zack replied with a smile.

"Be careful! There have been some weird monsters up there lately…" she warned with a worried face.

"I'm in SOLDIER! I got it!"

"Well at least do something to cover up the bruise on your forehead," commented the older man from next to Zack's mom. "You look like a fool with-"

"YO PANTS ON THE GROUND!" Zack yelled with his arms above his head.

There was a long pause of silence before it was broken by the same gruff voice.

"Boy you may be my son but I will not tolerate hearing that damned song from you too! Sing it again and I **will** kill you!" His blue-violet eyes showed annoyance and his graying hair seemed to get one more gray hair.

"Ha everyone sings that at Shin-Ra!" Zack laughed putting his hands behind his head.

"Well you aren't there now so stop it."

"Fine whatever, don't freak ya old fart."

"I thought having you runaway to join Shin-Ra would change you a little bit in the respect department but I guess I was wrong."

"Ah come on pa you know I'm just joking…"

"Go take care of your big important business and head back here when you're done."

"Right, I'll be back soon."

Zack went to open the door and was greeted with a girl a few inches shorter than him. She had very short black hair that was spiked out all over, tanned skin and clear blue eyes. Her outfit consisted of long black shorts that stopped a little below her knees and had various straps and pockets on them, a black and red checkered cloth tied around her hips that hung low in the back, black gloves, and a yellow short sleeve turtleneck jacket that was unzipped to about the junction of her neck and shoulders being held against her body by a belt at about her waist. The jacket had a long red cloth hanging from the top of the shoulders being held in place by a black strap that had been snapped onto them. The strap went from the front center of her right shoulder to the front center of her left shoulder. There was another one in the back to keep the cloth in place for sure. Least to say, it was a very strange outfit. Nothing compared to what the people of Gongaga normally wore.

What really grabbed Zack's attention were the two long knives she had hanging from a strap on each leg.

"Hi there!" Zack greeted with a smile, completely forgetting about her weapons.

"Zack?" the girl questioned.

"Um yeah and you are?" Zack asked still holding his smile.

"You little bastard!" the girl yelled in his face.

"Hey!" Zack yelled back.

"You don't even remember me do you?" The girl asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"No and I don't think I want to anyways!" Zack said in a childish tone, crossing his arms over his chest and looking to his right, closing his eyes.

"I can't believe you!" The girl huffed.

"Who cares…" Zack mumbled.

"Geez kid don't you remember your own friend?" Zack's dad commented.

"Friend?" Zack said, turning slightly to look at his dad.

"Yeah remember now loser?" The girl asked, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning forward.

"_I can take on all of you!" yelled six year old Zack._

"_Yeah right, get him boys." Said a gruff looking kid._

_Three older kids started to circle around Zack._

"_You may be older but you're uglier!" Zack yelled at them with a cocky grin._

_The first kid swung his fist and Zack dogged it with ease._

"_Is that all you got?" He asked cocky grin still enacted._

_Another kid swung his fist at Zack while another tried to kick Zack's legs out from underneath him. Zack did a quick back flip and dodged both attacks._

"_You're a real pain kid." Commented the leader._

"_Yeah but you're slow." Zack said smiling._

"…_Your comebacks don't make any sense." Said the older kid._

"_Your mom!" Zack yelled, charging at the kid. He rammed his fist into the kids' nose and jumped back._

"_Get him!" The kid yelled through the blood pouring from his nose._

_The three followers circled around Zack again. Two grabbed him from behind while one stood in front of him. Zack struggled to get free but found that he was stuck._

"_You're goanna pay twerp!" The kid in front of him said._

"_Uh-oh" mumbled Zack._

_The kid pulled his fist back ready to punch Zack. Zack closed his eyes waiting for the pain._

"_Leave him alone you loser!" came a girls voice._

_The bully that was about to punch Zack turned, only to be greeted with a fist connecting to his nose. He stumbled back holding his nose while the two bullies holding Zack let go and headed for the new girl._

"_Two down two to go!" the girl yelled. She didn't look any older than Zack. "Bring it on you losers!"_

"_No!" Zack yelled running towards the girl. He didn't want her to get hurt just because he stood by._

_The two bullies ran at her getting ready to punch her. The girl took an awkward fighting stance and looked like she was about to take the hits. Zack ran into one of the bullies sides and knocked him into the other one._

"_Are you crazy?" Zack yelled at the girl._

"_No but I think you might be!" the girl yelled back. "Come on!"_

_Zack ran to her side and picked up a bulky looking stick from the ground. He held it at arms length in front of himself then did a quick downward strike and stood in his favorite sword fighting stance. The girl next to him picked up a stick and broke it into multiple small pieces and held them between her fingers._

"_Let's go!" she yelled._

_The two of them charged at the last two bullies and attacked together, Zack fighting with his stick and occasionally through a kick or two in and the girl throwing her little pieces of stick like kunai, punching and kicking._

_After a few hits the bullies backed off and went home with more than enough proof that they were beaten by two kids younger than themselves._

"_How did you get into a fight with them?" The girl asked after the bullies had left._

"_Well I was kicking this rock and I kicked it really hard and it hit one of them and they got all mad and everything." Zack replied._

"_Loser…" the girl mumbled._

"_I am not!" Zack yelled. "Who are you anyways?"_

"_I'm Dawn and your Zack right?"_

"_Yeah, how do you know my name?"_

"_Please everyone knows you! You're the pain in the butt kid who always gets in trouble and flirts with other girls no matter how old they are!"_

"_Yeah well, wait what's flirting mean?"_

"_It's when you're talking to all those girls and they fall head over feet for you!"_

"_I think its head over toes."_

"_Head over heels! That doesn't matter right now! You know what flirting is now and you do it all the time!"_

"_I guess so, so who cares. Everyone likes me anyways!"_

"_No they don't! I hate you!"_

"_Then why did you help me back there?"_

"_Because I knew you would be helpless without me!"_

"_Liar you think I'm hot!"_

"_I do not!"_

"Hey did you die in there or something?" Dawn asked after a while.

"Dawn!" Zack yelled in realization.

"It's about time!" she said putting her hands on her hips once more.

"Yeah you helped me in that fight eleven years ago!"

"You can remember that far back but you couldn't remember me?" Dawn yelled in Zack's face.

"Hmm yeah that's the way I role." He commented putting his hands behind his head.

"Whatever. I heard there was a SOLDIER here yesterday and I came to see if it was you."

"Well it is, now if you'll excuse me I must go check out the reactor."

"Let me go with you!"

"No way!"

"Why not?"

"It's way too dangerous!"

"You don't really remember who I am obviously!"

"I do too!"

"No you don't! You would let me go if you did!"

"She's a rough girl Zack, one of the hardest working kids here in the village. Tougher than the boys her age too!" Zack's dad commented.

"What? No way! We're the same age and I'm way stronger than her!" Zack said turning around to stare at his father.

"Care to put your money where your mouth is?" Dawn asked.

"What, do you want to fight or something?"

"You and I right here right now!"

"Fine you're on!"

"Boy you're goanna get your ass kicked sideways!" Zack's dad threw in again.

"Yeah right, I'll show her who's toughest in this biatch!" Zack said, saying the last word in a loud voice.

"Zackary!" scolded Zack's mom.

"What? I censored myself!"

Zack's mom shook her head and asked him not to fight with Dawn. Zack, being the person he was, denied her request and followed Dawn to the front yard of the house. A couple people had been staring at the house after hearing Dawn and Zack's yells.

"You ready to get your ass kicked Fair?" Dawn asked once they were in a good spot to fight.

"You wish!" Zack said getting in a fighting stance.

Dawn took her position and waited for Zack to make the first move. Zack stood still for a few moments waiting for Dawn to move or show a sign of her going to attack. When she didn't Zack took the opportunity to make his own move. He charged at Dawn and went to kick her feet out from underneath her. She quickly jumped over him and struck the back of her hand towards the side of his face. He grabbed her hand and twisted it behind her back.

"Is that it?" Zack asked.

"You wish!" Dawn said, mimicking Zack's previously said words.

Dawn quickly turned and pulled both her and Zack's arms above her head and attempted to knee him in the groin. Zack quickly jumped back and landed a couple feet away from her.

"Not bad." He commented off handedly.

"You've missed a lot!" Dawn said with a smirk.

She ran towards him and started through punches. Zack moved quickly to block them all only to have a swift kick in the stomach.

"Damn! You're fast!" Zack said holding his stomach.

"Huh and you call yourself 1st Class! You're such a loser!" Dawn said crossing her arms over her chest.

"Ugh whatever, it didn't really hurt anyways." Zack said removing his hand from his stomach.

"Yeah okay." Dawn said in a sarcastic voice.

"I have to go check on the reactor. I'll say you win only because I need to get back to Shin-Ra as soon as possible." Zack said heading towards the reactor.

"Aww come on SOLDIER guy!" yelled a kid.

Zack stopped and looked around. Quiet a few people had gathered around to watch the fight that had just took place.

"That was way too short of a fight!" The kid continued.

"Yeah keep fighting!" yelled another kid.

"I can't okay maybe later!" Zack said hurrying off to the reactor.

Zack was almost to the reactor when Dawn ran up beside him.

"What are you doing here?" Zack asked her.

"I'm here to help!" she replied.

"I don't need you!"

"Yeah you do you loser!"

"Do not!"

"If you couldn't even bring me down then you have no chance at all in surviving against those monsters!"

"So I guess it's as bad as mom said?"

"Definitely, those monsters have been a pain in the ass for quite some time. I've been in charge of taking care of them."

"Taking care of them?"

"A few have made it to the village. I'm in charge of killing them if they make past a point we have set up."

"Where's the point?"

"Right there by that rock."

"How do you know if a monster goes past it?"

"Other than seeing it in the village, we have a watch man. It's usually me."

"So you take care of the monster not only in killing them but watching out from them too."

_That's why she has those knives…_

"Yeah, I've killed about ten this week."

"This week, how long has this been going on?"

"About a month, Shin-Ra hadn't done anything about it till now."

"I can't believe it! Man sometimes Shin-Ra really pisses me off! They have so many secrets they just can't share! Not to mention their ever so frequent problems with their crap reactors!"

"Chill out loser! We're almost there!"

The two reached the reactor without running into any monsters.

"Weird there weren't any monsters on our way up here." Dawn pointed out.

"Hey you think you'll be okay to stay out here? I can't let you go inside the reactor, Shin-Ra policy." Zack asked.

"Please I'll be fine!" Dawn reassured.

"Alright, I'll be back in a second."

Zack hurried inside the reactor and took a quick glance around. He remained on the defensive side just in case a monster showed up. Once he thought it was safe he lowered his guard a bit and approached one of the valves showing the reactor's work process. The dial showed that it was in the red.

"Doing way to much work huh?" Zack asked the reactor. "Well let's figure out what's wrong."

Zack walked to the back of the reactor and looked at some of the pipes. He noticed a crack in one of the pipes. As he got closer to examine it he noticed the crack was shining.

"Something's in here…" he mumbled.

He debated on taking the pipe apart and seeing what was causing the glow or leaving it alone. He came to his decision and took out his phone.

"Hey Kunsel, I'm in Gongaga and I had a question." Zack started as his call was answered. "It looks like there's something stuck in one of the pimps here and it's kind of glowing. Should I take the pipe apart or just have someone else from Shin-Ra look at it?"

"I wouldn't touch it. If you take apart one of the pipes you might not be able to fix it. I'd give Sephiroth a call and ask him what to do. He might send someone out to fix it."

"Alright thanks."

"No problem."

"I'm goanna call Seph and see what I get."

"Alright, good luck." And with that the conversation ended.

Zack called Sephiroth and told him what he found.

"Alright, I will request for someone to go out and have the pipe repaired. Oh and stay away from it while your there."

"Man have a little more confidence in me."

"I don't believe I can. I am quiet surprised though."

"Why because I called you for advise?"

"Not only that but the fact that your talking to me at all."

"What do mean?"

"Last time I checked you were quiet irritated with me for sending you out on a mission while Strife was in his predicament."

"Yeah well maybe I changed my mind about being mad at you."

"Maybe, now stay away from the pipe and remain in Gongaga until I tell you to report back."

"What, I have to stay here? Come on Seph you know I have to get back to Cloud!"

"Be that as it may you need to remain stationed there to make sure everything stays safe."

"Understandable but I hope you know I hate you again."

Zack hung up and headed out the exit of the reactor. Dawn was leaning against the reactor waiting for him.

"So what's going on in there?"

"A pipe's messed up. So anything happen while I was gone?"

"Yeah a couple monsters showed up."

"No way, I was only in there for like ten minutes!"

"More like fifteen, besides that's just enough time for a monster to make its move."

"Yeah, I guess so. So there were a lot more monsters here before?"

"Yeah, since there haven't been that many recently I'm starting to wonder if that's a good thing or not."

"It might be good. While I was looking at the pipes it looked like one was glowing. It might be mako but then again it might be something that somehow got stuck in it. Maybe it just recently blocked some of the mako flow so it's causing some monsters to stop coming."

"You haven't even seen the monsters yet have you?"

"No why?"

"You can see where they have resemblances from our common monsters. I think that the mako is mutating them."

Zack thought for a moment.

"Maybe there's a leak somewhere…" He suggested.

Dawn quickly straightened herself from her leaning position, pulled out her two knives and ran behind Zack.

"What are you-?" Zack started to ask while turning around to see what she was doing.

About six feet away from him was a hybrid looking monster. They top of its head had three points looking like they were pushed back. Its hands had five long fingers on them; four which looked like they were taped together by something. Its feet had what looked like five toes but webbed like a duck. The face of the monster is what really intrigued Zack the most. Its mouth had a zipper on it.

"What the hell is that?" Zack mumbled.

"Come on SOLDIER boy help me out here!" Dawn yelled from were she fought.

Zack came to his senses and pulled out his Buster Sword. He ran over to the monster and with a few hits, aided by Dawns quick hits the monster was down in matter of minutes.

"So these are the monsters?"

"Yeah, they look weird huh?"

"Almost like a duck and a human."

"I'm guessing it's a hybrid of a duck, Toxic Frog, some kind of wolf and maybe a human."

"Mako did this?"

"Yeah, look it's even radiating mako."

The mysterious monster laid on the ground lifelessly as mako seemed to radiate out of its wounds, just as Dawn had said.

"That's terrible." Zack muttered.

"Whatever it can't be helped now, let's head back to the village."

~X~

When Cloud woke up he judged it was about eight in the morning.

"I need to get new clothes." He mumbled to himself, pulling at the current ones he wore.

He didn't really care about Aerith finding him anymore or anyone for that matter. He was still a little upset at the way Aerith's mother had talked about Zack but he couldn't really blame her. Sometimes, he hated to admit it, felt the same way when Zack left on missions after he had promised to spend time with him.

_I never stayed made though. I know he can't help when he goes on missions._

Cloud got up and headed towards Aerith's house. Once the short trip was over he stood outside the door a couple minutes thinking of how to get his clothes and maybe even a bath. After all, the outburst he had when he ran off had been kind of unexpected.

Cloud gave up and entered the house. He closed the door and was quickly greeted with a hug.

"Cloud your okay!" Aerith exclaimed as she hugged him.

Cloud didn't say anything. He just stood in his spot and stared ahead.

"I came back to get clothes." He said in a low voice.

"Oh, umm do you want a bath?" Aerith then asked.

"Please."

"Alright I'll get it started; you go get your clothes."

Aerith headed towards the bathroom while Cloud went upstairs to the guest room he was suppose to be staying. He got out the smallest out fit that he hadn't worn yet and looked it over. It was a black short sleeve shirt with a light blue long sleeve shirt underneath it, long blue shorts, and black shoes.

Cloud dug under the clothes again and pulled out the picture of him and Zack. He stared at it for a moment then put it back under all the clothes and headed down the stairs with his clothes in his hand to go take his bath.

Aerith left him alone while he took his bath and went to make him some breakfast for when he got out.

_How long will I have to stay here?_ He thought to himself.

He quickly finished his bath and got dressed. When he left the bathroom Aerith came over to him with a soft, white towel. She helped him dry his hair and told him his breakfast was on the table.

As Aerith went to go put the towel in the dirty basket Cloud headed over to the table and found a small stake of pancakes and a glass of orange juice waiting for him. He climbed up in the chair and began eating.

Aerith walked back into the small living room/ dinging room/ kitchen and sat down in a chair across from Cloud.

"I hope you like them." She said with a smile. She looked like she was about to say something else but was cut off by the sound of her cell phone ringing. She jumped slightly at the first ring.

"Sometimes I forget I even have this thing." She said with a giggle as she pulled out her phone.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Aerith I'm glad I got a hold of you! How are you and Cloud doing?" Came Zack's voice.

"Oh we're fine, would you like to talk to him?" Aerith asked.

"Yes please!" Zack said in a happy voice.

"Alright hold on." Aerith said. She handed to phone over to Cloud. "It's Zack he wants to talk to you."

Cloud looked a little shocked at first before grabbing the phone.

"Hello?" he asked in a little voice.

"Hey Spiky, how you doing?" Zack asked.

"Good," Cloud said in the same quiet voice.

"That's good, Aerith treating you nice?" Zack asked with a chuckle.

"Yeah, she's nice." Cloud said no trace of humor in his voice.

"Hey you sure you okay?" Zack then asked, worry evident in his voice.

"Yeah I'm fine."

"Hey don't worry okay, I'll be back soon. I promise."

"I know you will."

"Alright I'm goanna go okay?"

"Alright, bye"

"Bye Spiky,"

Cloud handed the phone back to Aerith who talked to Zack for another minute before hanging it up.

"Well what do you want to do today?" Aerith asked Cloud.

Cloud shook his head and drank the rest of his orange juice.

Aerith sighed and took his now empty glass and plate over to the sink to be washed later. Cloud got up form his chair and headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Aerith asked in a soft voice.

"To the flowers." He replied.

"Do you like flowers?" Aerith asked with a smile.

"I've never really seen flowers before. Seeing them here is nice."

"Come on lets go."

Aerith led Cloud outside and up the stairs to her higher ledge of flowers. She walked over to a patch and examined them.

"Huh these ones look a little flat. Like something laid against them." She said touching one.

"I might have done that." Cloud said cautiously. He remembered the story Zack had told him about the day he was think and stepped on Aerith's flowers by accident and how mad she had gotten. He was afraid he was about to feel the same wrath.

"Umm I fell asleep out her last night and I think I might have rolled onto some of them. I'm really sorry."

"It's ok, they're fine. It's not as bad as they could have been if someone stepped on them." She said smiling.

"Yeah," Cloud said exhaling a breath he had been holding.

They stayed outside for a few hours, Aerith tending the flowers and Cloud gazing at the waterfall behind the house.

Cloud began to doze off after a while and leaned against the side of the fence he was sitting beside.

"Cloud are you hungry?" Aerith asked after a while. When she got no response she quickly turned around to see what was wrong. When she noticed Cloud was sleeping she smiled down at him and let him be.

_He doesn't really like to be around people and seems pretty happy around the flowers._ She thought to herself.

She quietly went back to the house and got a few things for their dinner out. When she had everything situated and her pot of noodles boiling she went back outside to se how Cloud was doing.

When she got to her highest garden she noticed Cloud was in the same spot as before however he was awake this time.

"Good evening Cloud." Aerith said with a smile.

Cloud jumped at the sound of her voice and looked at her. Once he spotted her he gave her a small nod and turned back to the waterfall.

"Do you want to come inside? I have dinner cooking."

Cloud shook his head without looking up.

"Would you like me to come out here and get you when it's done then?"

Cloud shook his head once more, still not looking up at her.

"Are you alright? You seem quiet. I know you just woke but you seem sad, I guess."

"I'm fine," Cloud finally said.

"Alright, I'll be in the kitchen then." And with that she left Cloud to his staring.

_What's wrong with me? Why am I so sad? Maybe it's Zack… He'll be back soon, he said that he would._ Cloud thought to himself.

For a while he had this feeling of being depressed. One that he couldn't shake off no matter what he did. He could tell he wasn't being his normal self but he couldn't act any different. In a certain sense he felt numb. He almost felt like he was in someone else's body. Just sitting inside and watching as life went by.

Cloud stayed in his daze unaware of the door to the house opening and closing.

"Where is he?" asked Elmyra as she entered the house.

"Who, Cloud?" Aerith asked looking up from her pot of noodles.

"Yes, did he ever come back?"

"Yes he came back a little after you left."

"I see. Where is he now? Do you know?"

"He's by the flowers on the highest raise. He's been watching the waterfall for a while."

"So is he going to sleep outside again or will he be staying inside? Zack had asked for you to take care of him right?"

"Yes but I want Cloud to be happy. This is a very hard time for him and Zack both."

"Yes I understand, so you plan to let him do as he pleases?"

"If it'll make him happy, then yes."

It was quiet then and Aerith noticed something different.

"Mom, you called Zack by his name. Not by a mean nickname. Why?" she asked.

"When Cloud got upset about what I had said about Zack, I thought over my opinion of him. I know he can't help when he gets called out on something and leaves, but having him hurt you the way he did just annoys me." Elmyra replied.

"I told you he never hurt me." Aerith said with a small frown.

"You keep saying that but when I think back to how happy you were when you were with him I can't help but think your only saying that to protect him."

"I'm not, I'm telling the truth!" Aerith began annoyance evident in her voice. "I liked Zack at one point yes but after a while we **both **agreed to stay friends. We didn't like each other like we thought we did! I swear on it!"

"Swearing, isn't that a bit much?" Elmyra chuckled.

Aerith sighed and looked at the woman with serious eyes.

"I don't know how to tell you any other way. I'm serious in what I say. Stop blaming Zack for nothing, please."

"Don't worry dear; I have a sudden new found respect for that boy."

Aerith smiled and moved to give the woman a hug. Elmyra pulled away from Aerith and looked at her in the eyes.

"Who could hate that boy anyhow? He's too sweet for his own good." Elmyra said smiling.

Aerith giggled and went back over to her pot of noodles to turn the stove off.

After having their dinner, Elmyra and Aerith began to talk about the situation with Cloud. They had an estimated idea of how long Cloud would be staying with them until Zack could return from his mission. Zack had told Aerith that morning that he was going to look at the reactor for the first time that morning and tell her how long he thought it would take before he could come back. He called back though. Aerith didn't want to call him either. If he was doing something important then she didn't want to disturb him. Of course that nagging feeling that something bad had happened to him was always at the back of her mind. She believed that he was strong enough to handle anything though so the feeling would occasionally go away.

"Cloud is still outside." Aerith said after her and Elmyra had come to a conclusion in the conversation.

"Should I go get him?" Elmyra asked.

"No I think he should be coming in soon. It's almost ten."

"Has he eaten anything today?"

"He had some breakfast but that was it. I can't get him to eat anything."

"Maybe he's in an upset state of mind right now."

"What do you mean?"

"If he's really upset about what's going on and being away from Zack then he might not feel very hungry."

"Well then what should I do?"

"Wait until he's ready. The saying will never change Aerith."

"You're right."

"In time…" They said in unison.

At that moment Cloud walked through the door.

"Cloud, are you hungry?" Aerith asked him.

Cloud shook his head, a blank look in his eyes.

"Are you thirsty?" she tried again.

Cloud shook his head again and walked over to the stairs.

"No thank you, I'm just going to bed." He said in a low voice and headed up the stairs.

Cloud closed the door to the room he was staying in and took off the clothes he had worn that day. He may not have done anything but sleep and stare at the same thing for hours on end but he still felt like the clothes were dirty. He sat his clothes next to his bag and climbed into the bed and fell asleep.

**Authors Notes:**

Geez man, I'm really sorry this so late! I have reasons though!

First reason, I haven't found any reason to write. I sort of feel like you guys don't care anymore. I mean I get pissed when I hear others say how they think no one cares about them because they don't review or anything but now I kind of understand.

Second reason, my cousin Josh had been on the laptop any chance he got so I couldn't work, even when I wanted to.

Third reason, I've been reading two mangas called "FAKE" and "Yami No Matsuei" and/or "Descendent of Darkness". I just want to say both the anime and mangas are amazing! You all should check them out. "FAKE" has some serious yaoi in it and "Yami No Matsuei" has a mixture of yaoi and shounen ai in it.

Fourth reason, I've been playing Sudoku in my spare time. It's very addicting.

Fifth reason, I've been playing Jak and Daxter Lost Frontier, Dissidia Final Fantasy, Cooking Mama and Final Fantasy VII. I started over on my Final Fantasy VII and my sister was watching me play when I had to dress Cloud up like a girl and all that sexual harassment stuff was going on. It was so funny. My sister was making noises when I would fight and every time Tifa got hurt she would say "Hey don't you beat up my beautiful girlfriend!"… I think she's the lesbian of the family… She's only five! She kept saying "Umm what's the black guys name again?" Ah it was too funny. But god that game pisses me off so bad! Every time Aerith says something about Zack but doesn't say his name I just kill my controller! I'm like "Bitch tell Cloud it was Zack!" Like the scene at the park! When her and Cloud are on top of that weird ass cat slide looking thing and she's like "You have SOLDIER eyes just like him!" or something like that and Cloud's like "Who?" and she just totally doesn't tell him! UGH!

Well about this chapter. Dawn was originally going to be Dee. She went from being a girl to a boy to a girl again. I figured I had too many boys so I just made her a chick!

This chapter is a lot longer than any other chapter I've ever written to. The story its self is twenty-one pages long! Yes new record! I purposely left out a bunch of story for Zack on the last chapter because I wanted to end it with him getting the rock thrown at him by the unknown person! lady-yuna7 guessed right about who threw it! I can say that makes me happy/proud somehow haha!

Please review you guys! It will really get me back into a writing mood! I mean I promise I will never leave any of my stories hanging but I really need to know you all are there!

One last thing add me on Myspace to chat, hang out and get Materia Findings updates! Add me on Facebook for Materia Findings updates!

MySpace: /cz_child

Facebook: just search Chelsi Hunsaker yeah?

**Thanks…**

Dragi

victoria92179

lady-yuna7

natcat5

howlingwolf201

Ulquiorr4ever95

Jukka

Neko Serena

CrazyCartSalad (lol love the name!)

short fat bibliophile (most intriguing name)

Shigeki-Hizashi


	7. Day 7

No matter how many times he had said it he would continue to say it. Zack, absolutely, did not want to be in Gongaga at that moment. Not for any reason of hatred or regret but for Cloud. Being away from the kid was nerve raking, not like it wasn't before. Zack was constantly wondering if Cloud was okay or if someone was giving him a hard time by his looks or his strength. Cloud wasn't very strong and it usually caused him grief from others.

_Why the hell am I freaking out? _Zack asked himself in his head. _He's with Aerith I know he's safe!_

Zack groaned in frustration. He just couldn't shake the thought of something bad happening. He continued to sit in his place on the small step in front of his childhood home contemplating on what to do.

I could call Aerith and ask how her and Cloud are or I could call Seph and see if there's anything that might be able to fix this stupid mess faster...

"Damn do you stare off into space like that all the time?" asked a familiar voice.

Zack looked up to see Dawn staring down at him with a smirk.

"Shut up I'm just thinking." Zack said looking towards the ground.

"…Don't strain yourself."

"Gah you too?"

"Please Zack everyone has made fun of you for some reason and it's stuck, even after you left for Shin-Ra."

"Everyone here is mean to me. They must be jealous."

"Of what?"

"My damn fine sexy looks!" Zack said standing up and flexing his biceps.

"What ever, we all made fun of you because you were a little player when it came to the girls and because you ADHD sidetracked you so much it was hilarious!"

"Only citizens from Gongaga would make fun their own…" Zack said tilting his head to the side with a fake pout.

"Yeah, whatever, so what's got you thinking?" Dawn asked, taking a few steps backwards to nonverbally tell Zack she wanted to walk.

"It's Cloud, I just can't help but worry about him." Zack said while putting his hands behind his head and walking over to Dawn.

"Man and he's how old?" Dawn sighed.

"He's been on the planet for sixteen years, but now he's like seven I guess."

"He's too old to have you fretting over him!" Dawn said standing in front of Zack to stop him. "The kid needs to be able to get through his life on his own! Having you there to baby him when he gets a cramp in his wrist from fighting isn't going to help him at all!"

"Yeah I know but it's not like that at all!"

"Yeah, yeah I know. Still you should probably chill yeah?" Dawn moved out of Zack's way so they could continue walking.

"No, I can't just do that."

"Ahh, you are so annoying! If you just **have **to know that his little ass is safe then call him for Shiva's sake!" Dawn said stopping in her tracks.

When Zack kept walking as if in thought again Dawn got frustrated. She ran up next to him peeked around his right arm that was still behind his head from before. She noticed he had on his new "thinking face" as she liked to call it. It was a cross between one of concern and thought. Dawn figured he only had that kind of thinking face on when it was Cloud he was thinking about. After all when they went up to the reactor he didn't appear to have the same "thinking face" on.

"You bastard…" Dawn mumbled under her breath. She took a couple steps a head and managed to stick her foot out in front of him. Zack tripped and landed face first into the dirt.

"Ow!" He said from where he laid on the ground. His words were muffled from his face in the ground. "Eww I got dirt in my mouth!"

"Then get your face out of the dirt!" Dawn said looking at Zack like he was stupid. Which wasn't far from the truth in this case.

Zack lifted his head off the ground and made a face of disgust.

"What?" Dawn asked folding her arms.

"Dirt tastes bad…"

"You really are an idiot." Dawn mumbled looking straight ahead.

"You could at least help me up, after all it's your fault I'm down here."

"Do it yourself SOLDIER boy."

Dawn started to walk off down the dirt trail they had previously been walking when she stopped. Zack picked himself off the ground and dusted his uniform off. He had already taken a few steps in the process of dusting but hadn't looked ahead yet. When he did he saw Dawn standing still in the middle of the trail.

"Hey, wait for me to catch did you?" Zack asked with a chuckle. When Dawn didn't turn or say anything back Zack became confused. "Hey I just joking you know…"

"Why do you care so much?" Dawn asked turning around.

"Huh," Zack asked unintelligently.

"Why do you care about him so much? I mean I can understand since he's got that whole problem of being a baby and everything but it just seems too much!" she said turning around to face him.

"Oh uh, well I guess it's because he's my friend," Zack said with a small smile, looking to the ground. "I care about him because I know that even though I'm a couple years older than him, he still needs guidance. I know I can't offer him much and what I can offer him might not be of much help, but I can't help but worry. He's more than a friend I guess. He's like the little brother I've never had."

"I guess, I guess it doesn't really matter." Dawn said turning back to look ahead of them.

"Hey," Zack said walking to Dawn's side and leaning down a bit to look at her eyes. They were staring aimlessly at the village ahead of them, almost unseeingly.

"Are you jealous?" Zack asked cautiously.

"No are you a freaking idiot!" Dawn yelled, hitting Zack over the back of the head.

"Ow!" Zack yelled holding his head. "What was that for?"

"You're an idiot. I was just wondering why you cared so much. Since you said it the way you did I can understand now." Dawn said looking at the village once more.

"Well why did you do it the way you did? It was almost sad."

"Sad the way I brought it up or sad as the way it played out?" Dawn asked anger starting to flare at the thought that Zack might make fun of her for how she acted.

"Uh the way it played out!" Zack quickly replied, holding up his hands in surrender.

"Sorry I don't know what came over me I guess."

"It's alright."

"So, you know when you're leaving?"

"Uh no not really. I haven't heard anything from Seph about having someone come out here and check out the reactor."

"Give him a call!"

"He might be busy… alright!"

Zack took out his phone and held down the number three. In a few seconds Sephiroth's name and number appeared on the screen saying that he was being dialed.

"You have him on speed dial?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah I usually need to call him for something important so I just put him on it."

"Who's two?"

"Aerith."

"Who?"

"She's this girl I met. She's really nice and pretty too."

"Gods let's hope you didn't corrupt her mind."

"I'm sure I didn't."

"Zackary what do you want?" Sephrioth asked from over the phone.

"Oh, I was wondering if you'd gotten anything about having the mako reactor repair person dude."

"The mako reactor repairman?"

"Yeah that person!"

"We wont be able to send one out until tomorrow."

"What," Zack yelled into his phone's mouthpiece. "Why?"

"Because we don't have anyone now."

"How can you not have anyone now? Shin-Ra has thousands of repairmen! How can you be lacking some all of a sudden?"

"Fine do you want to hear the truth?"

"You were lying?"

"Yes now do you want to hear the truth or not?"

"Yes please!"

"Everyone's glad you're gone, complaints have gone down significantly. The reason we are not sending a repairman out today is to keep you gone longer."

Zack stared at the ground in disbelief.

"No, you're lying." He said in a small voice. "I don't believe you! I know I'm annoying but that can't be right!"

"Goodbye Zackary."

Zack closed his phone and put it in his pocket.

"Yeouch, that was harsh." Dawn said with a look crossed between fake pain and smirk.

"He's lying… he has to be, everybody loves Zack!" Zack yelled with a pout.

"Maybe not…" Dawn said under her breath.

"Hey!"

"Well now what?" Dawn asked. "We don't really have much to do. I mean the fiends are still showing up but unless I get a call asking for help we can't really intervene."

"I'm bored!" Zack yelled.

"Oh really?" Dawn yelled back.

"Really!"

~X~

Cloud wondered around Aerith's church looking around at the decently nice place.

_I guess this church will never change. _Cloud thought to himself.

It had been nearly a week since Aerith had been to the church. Cloud noticed how the flowers seemed fine and the church untouched. Then again why would someone aimlessly wonder into a run down church? Aerith had to have found it some way though and she seemed like the kind of person who might wonder around aimlessly when they had nothing better to do.

"Whatever…" Cloud mumbled to himself.

"Huh what's wrong?" Aerith asked looking up from her flowers.

Cloud shook his head and walked over to the first pew on the left. He sat down and looked at the hole filled ceiling of the church.

"Why do the flowers only grow here and at you're house?" He questioned aloud.

Aerith looked over her shoulder at him. She was quiet for a second, a look of deep thought on her face. She turned back towards the flowers and stayed that way for a few seconds.

"I'm, not really sure," She finally replied. "I've never questioned it really."

Cloud looked at Aerith. He could see the left side of her face as she was reaching over to brush her fingers over a yellow flower.

_Maybe… maybe I should just keep my thoughts to myself. _Cloud thought to himself, looking back to the ceiling.

~X~

Zack and Dawn had continued their aimless walk until they had reached the checkpoint for the reactor watch.

"I may as well take my shift since I'm here." Dawn said approaching the current guard.

She gave him permission to leave then turned to Zack.

"You're welcome to help if you want. I'm not sure too many people will be fond of you even if you're here to protect them."

"Yeah, I'll stay."

"Cool, it gets kinda boring being here alone anyways."

"I wouldn't doubt it."

After a few minutes Zack felt that the current situation was very familiar. He couldn't place where from though.

"Guard duty!" Zack randomly shouted.

"Yeah that's what we're doing." Dawn said looking at Zack like he was an idiot.

"No, I mean yeah that's what we're doing but standing here all bored and stuff is just like guard duty back at Shin-Ra!" Zack elaborated.

"No, cause it's just like jumping of a cliff!" Dawn said sarcastically.

"What? Wait oh," Zack said stupidly.

"Whoa you're slow!"

"You made a rhyme!"

"Just look at the time…"

"That's great!"

"What's today's date?"

"You're good!"

"Bitch I'm from the hood!"

"No your not…"

"Pumpkins rot just like that cop who was shot up on the block like 'What did I do to deserve this?' laying on the street watchen the passen feet as he bled to death thinken I can't and don't believe this is the way it'll end I'm not given up that easily, no! I won't sit by and watch the people go, watch them fall watch them drop while I'm suppose to be doen my job." Dawn rapped out in a steady beat, not getting tongue tied.

"Whoa maybe you are from the hood…" Zack said in shock.

"Just cause I can rap doesn't mean I'm from the hood. Don't say that it's a terrible stereotype."

"That was still cool."

"Yeah, one of my many hidden talents," Dawn said putting her hands behind her head. "I've got some spare time when on guard."

"I can see."

"So what do you do to pass the time when you're on guard duty?"

"I usually just stand there, unless I'm with Cloud, then I talk to him."

"I thought you had ADHD?"

"I do."

"So how are you able to stand guard for Shiva knows how long without getting bored to death?"

"I never said I didn't whine."

"So you annoy the person who you're guarding with by complaining and/or whining?"

"Occasionally, yes."

"Interesting."

"Sometimes I look through my photos on my phone though."

"Ah there we go! Come on let's see 'em!"

"Alright fine."

Zack reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He pressed a few buttons and quickly navigated himself to the photos he had stored on his phone. He selected the first picture and tilted the phone towards Dawn. It was a picture of Cloud sleeping. He had his head tucked into a light blue pillow and the blankets were pulled up around his face. His mouth was hidden by his hand, which had been curled up into a loose fist.

"Ha when was this?" Dawn asked with a smile.

"A few weeks ago. I went in to wake him up and found him like this! The opportunity was too good to pass up!"

"Whoa wait a second! You get up before that kid?" Dawn asked incredulously.

"Well not usually. He was up studying for a test the next day. Normally he has to wake me up." Zack said with a sheepish grin.

"Big surprise…" Dawn mumbled sarcastically.

"You know your sarcasm hurts." Zack said with a pout.

He hit a button on the directional pad and brought up a new picture. This one was of him and Cloud. Zack had on a carefree smile and Cloud a small, shy one. There was a small pink tinge on his cheeks. The picture was obviously taken by Zack. The view of the camera was at an angle from the sky and Zack's arm was extended a little. Zack's other arm was wrapped around Clouds shoulders pulling him into the frame.

"This was…?"

"A few weeks ago. Cloud and I were on guard duty and I got bored."

"Interesting,"

Zack hit the same button as last time and a new picture showed up. It was of him and Cloud in what appeared to be a wrestling position. Zack was sitting on his knees holding Cloud's thighs in his hands. He was lent over the blonde a little, explaining why the later had his hands against Zack's chest in, what appeared to be a failed attempt, at getting him away. Cloud's shorts had been pulled down a bit and his shirt was pushed up so his belly button was exposed. He was blushing like a mad man and looked like a dear caught in headlights.

"Oh my Gods what were you doing to him?" Dawn asked through her burst of laughter.

"We were wrestling when my friend Kunsel grabbed my phone and took a picture of us." Zack said between his own laughter.

"It looks like you were trying to rape him!"

"That's what Kunsel said!"

"Well look his ass is hanging out and his shirt nearly half way off!"

"That wasn't my fault!"

"Whatever, your shirt's off too!"

They continued laughing and pointing out things for another minute until Zack had changed the picture to another one. This one was of Cloud and Zack holding a baby kitten. The kitten was black with one whit paw and a white slash that went across its face and over it's left eye.

"Aw kitty!" Dawn chided softly.

"Yeah Cloud and I found him and took him back to Kunsel's apartment." Zack said smiling. "Kunsel wasn't too happy at first but warmed up to the idea of taking care of him for awhile when I used my killer look. Angeal, like most, calls it the 'Puppy Dog Look'."

"Let me guess, big eyes, cute little pout?"

"Yup!"

"You've been using that look since you were a kid!"

"Yup and it hasn't failed me once yet! Cloud seems to be building up an immune to it though."

"Yeah too bad, okay on to the next pic!"

Zack gave Dawn a half "Puppy Look" that went ignored. He looked back to the screen of the phone and hit the right arrow on the control pad to bring up the next picture. It was one of Zack, Cloud and Angeal. Angeal was carrying Zack on his back and looking over his shoulder towards the camera with a small smile. Zack was looking at Cloud, who was on his back, over his shoulder and smiling his usual goofy smile. Cloud had a small-embarrassed smile and a small blush on his cheeks. The picture was taken far enough away that one could see how far Angeal was leaning forward and feet and hand placements.

"Who's that?" Dawn asked through her chuckles, pointing at Angeal.

"That's Angeal, my mentor. I learned a lot of fighting techniques and other things from him. Without him, Bahamut knows where I'd be right now."

"Probably somewhere in a gutter."

"You're mean!"

"Ugh whatever."

"Such a teenager!"

"What are you talking about? We're the same age!"

"We are?"

"Yes! Man, who took this anyways, Kunsel?"

"No, Genesis did actually."

"Wait, Genesis? Genesis, Angeal… Wait are these the all around famous first classes you're talking about?"

"Yup!"

"You hang out with them?"

"Yeah,"

"I mean you're a first class and everything but really, you hang out with them?"

"Uh huh."

"No way, they just seem too…"

"Old?"

"Strong, bigger, more mature. Like you don't fit in because you're so young."

"Well I spend a lot of my time around Angeal. Genesis usually finds some random ass way to show up and annoy the shiznit out of me. I don't think he annoys me on purpose though. Come to think of it, Genesis is kinda weird."

"Weird how?"

"I don't know. He just has this feeling to him. Like he's around just to see Angeal or something. You know what, I think that is the only reason he hangs around."

"Is he gay or something?"

"No I don't think that's it. They grew up together in the same village so I guess he's always around because Angeal is his childhood friend."

"Sure, you keep telling yourself that."

"Ah shut up! You're just jealous because I'm a First Class SOLDIER!"

"As if! I about kicked your ass the first day you were here!"

"…Touché…jerk."

"Just show the next picture!"

"Fine, fine."

Zack hit the same button as the previous times and the next photo showed up. It was a picture of him and Cloud again. This time they were playing a video game. They both looked like they had gotten to far into it. Cloud was biting his lip and looking at the TV. Zack had his tongue sticking out his mouth and was paying about as much attention to the TV as Cloud was.

"Geez what were you playing? I haven't seen you give anything that much attention unless it was food." Dawn said chuckling.

"Hey," Zack said with a small smile. "We were playing 'Fast Pace 2.0'. It's a racing game."

"Yeah I've heard of it. So it was a close race I'm guessing?"

"Yeah, in the end he won. I think I have a video on here of the race."

Zack returned to the main menu of the phone and went to the video selection that was saved to the memory. He found the video he was looking for and hit play.

It started with Cloud and Zack sitting on the floor quietly, their faces contorted in concentration. The only sound that could be heard was the sound of the cars skidding across the ground in the game.

"Ahh shit!" Zack suddenly yelled, pulling his red controller to the left.

"Ha!" Cloud yelled.

"Oh screw you!" Zack yelled again, sitting back in his original position.

"Last Lap!" the in game computer voice said.

"I will own you!" Zack then yelled and hit a button on his controller with more force than necessary.

"Hey, that's cheating!" Cloud yelled.

"No it's not it's just smart consuming."

"You mean smart conserving?"

"Yeah, yeah whatever."

A small snicker could be heard close to the camera.

"Shut up Kunsel!" Zack yelled, waving his left hand behind him at the camera.

"Sorry it's funny." Kunsel chuckled.

Cloud and Zack both interrupted a few seconds of just the TV sounds by making weird whining noises.

"Ah, ah no, no!" Cloud said bouncing on his spot on the floor.

"Ah come on, come on!" Zack said leaning towards the TV.

"Man get away!" Cloud yelled.

"You!" Zack yelled back pushing Cloud's face with his right hand.

"Ah no!" Cloud yelled falling on his side. "You get away!"

Zack was then pushed on his side when Cloud pushed him with his foot.

"EH GO, GO!" Zack continued to yell.

"AHH!" Cloud yelled louder.

"NO!" Zack yelled bolting in an upright position.

"YES! HAHA WHO"S THE WINNER NOW?" Cloud yelled at Zack, sitting up on his knees again.

"You wish you were the winner! I let you win!"

"I beg to differ." Kunsel said with a chuckle.

Zack flipped him off while continuing to stare at Cloud.

"Best two out of three?" Zack asked. It was obvious he was attempting to use his "Puppy Dog" look on Cloud.

"Cloud don't fall for it!" Kunsel yelled.

Cloud made a noise in his throat. It was evident that he was close to giving into the look. His own face would almost lead one to believe it was one of his embarrassed looks.

"Cloud be strong! You beat him, if you do a best two out of three Zack'll cheat somehow!" Kunsel said.

Cloud looked away from Zack's face and at the TV.

"N-no that's okay. I think I'll have a little bit of pride with this game for a while."

Zack stared at him in disbelief.

"He just, he can't! No one's been able to withstand my pouty face except for Angeal, Seph, and Genny!" Zack yelled at the ceiling with a fake pout.

"Better add on to your list. I plan on doing it more often." Cloud said looking back at the pouting teen.

Zack's expression slowly changed from a pout to a straight face while Cloud's changed from a smug smile to worry.

They sat on the floor for a while staring at each other until Zack tackled Cloud.

"Who won?" Zack asked sitting on Cloud's back.

"I did!" Cloud yelled.

"I don't," Zack started quickly flipping the blonde over. "Think so!"

Zack's sudden tickle attack made Cloud look like he was about to cry.

"Stop, stop!" Cloud begged.

"Who won?" Zack asked again.

"I did! No matter how much you tickle me it won't change!" Cloud yelled between laughs.

"Fine, say uncle!" Zack said, moving one hand from tickling the blonde's stomach to tickling under his chin.

"Uncle!" Cloud laughed, grabbing onto Zack's hand under his chin.

Zack seized his tickle attack and stared at the younger teen laying below him gasping for breath. He leaned forward until his and blonde's noses were touching.

"I won this round!" He yelled.

He got off of Cloud and cupped his hands around his mouth and started to make a fake crowd noise.

"Ahh! Undefeated champ! Ahh! Zack Fair!"

"You're an idiot." Cloud and Kunsel said simultaneously.

Zack looked at Cloud then at Kunsel.

"How long have been recording?" He asked.

The last part of the video was of Kunsel chuckling and Zack walking slowly over him with his hand out stretched for his phone.

"So, Kunsel was recording? Do you guys hang out a lot?" Dawn asked.

"Sometimes, not as often as we used to. We've both been busy lately." Zack replied.

"Yeah and by that you mean you've been ditching him to hang out with Cloud huh?"

"I'm serious we've both had a lot to take care of lately! Kunsel's had to sub for a training class a few time last week. I've had to go on more missions due to Angeal and Genesis being gone on vacation! Sephiroth never really goes anywhere since he's in charge of a lot of SOLDIER things but that also includes missions. He knows what I can handle and what I can't. If I can't handle a mission he'll send Angeal or Genesis out."

"Sounds to me like he's just lazy and doesn't want to fight."

"Ugh Sephiroth is really high in his SOLDIER power. He's as in charge as Director Lazard!"

"Who?"

"The SOLDIER Director."

"Riigghhht."

"You don't believe me do you?"

"Look I could care less about you're precious SOLDIER crap. Truthfully I hate SOLDIER, just like the rest of the village. Shin-Ra's caused too much-!"

Dawn was interrupted by a forceful shove against her back that knocked her to the ground. A small gasp could be heard from behind her. Footsteps hurried over to her but were silenced once they got close to her. Dawn heard Zack yell in pain and a loud thump of something hitting the ground. When she looked up she saw Zack being held down by one of the mako mutated monsters.

"Zack kill it!" Dawn yelled as if it were the simplest of tasks.

A loud roar was heard above her in response to her advice. She looked up and found a giant beast on her back similar to the one that was currently lashing at Zack's face.

Dawn squirmed under the weight of the giant creatures paw and managed to turn enough to reach for one of her daggers. She grabbed the one on her left side and rammed it into the beasts' underbelly. The ear splitting cry that emanated from its mouth was what Dawn considered her chance to get away. She quickly got up and ran out from under the monster.

When she was a few feet away she turned around and got in a fighting stance and held up her fists. She felt something bump into her back and looked over her shoulder with enough speed you'd think she'd given herself whiplash.

Zack was behind her holding his sword up to help keep the monster that had attacked him at bay. Dawn pulled out her other dagger and held it near her side with one hand on the handle and the other on the end of the handle. It almost looked like a joke attempt to hide it while still wielding it.

"I'm not sure that thing will help us out here." Zack said in a calm voice.

"Ha remember who you're talking to. I can handle these things no problem." Dawn said with a smirk. "Besides you should worry about yourself. That little crappy sword you have doesn't look too sturdy."

Zack took a quick look over of his standard SOLDIER combat sword. Dawn was right the sword did have its faults. Zack had broken his fair share of them on missions before.

_Whatever, it'll do for now! _Zack thought to himself.

As if the both had planned the attack together, Dawn and Zack both jumped forward and attacked a beast that was in front of them.

Zack took one strike against his monster and jumped back. The beast didn't seem to feel the hit. It's skull had what almost looked like a helmet so Zack's after thought was that the attack was a stupid one. He quickly ran around the side of the monster and tried attacking it's left side. He managed to cut a part of it, not enough to do too much damage, but enough to harm some.

_Damn it! Why do these things have armor?_ Zack asked himself in his head.

Behind him he could her Dawn attacking her own monster. Zack took a quick glance to see how she was doing. She had managed to get her other blade back and didn't seem to be having any trouble.

Zack quickly turned back around when he heard the roar of his beast. He jumped back and misplaced his footing on a small rock. When he noticed his faulty move it was too late. He was lying on the ground. The beast took it to its advantage and pounced on Zack. As a last result of defense Zack held his sword up to try and hold the creature back. He held one hand near the end of the blade to help push.

_Ugh, I'm such an idiot! I could have just stabbed this thing and ended it, but no I had to go and act without thinking… as usual. _Zack thought to himself.

Zack stopped his thoughts to focus on the monster lashing at him from behind his sword. He didn't know how to really get out of a situation like this, which was terrible since he was a First Class SOLDIER.

"Ahh!" Zack yelled. "Are you serious! Sweet Odin just get the fuck off me! I got a life I need to get back to with a baby blonde and among other things nice animals such as Moogles and Chococbos!"

Dawn turned slightly when she heard Zack yelling. She snickered at him and turned back to her own fight.

"If you can't take care of the damn thing then get the hell out of here!" She yelled at him.

"Piss off!" Zack yelled from behind her.

Dawn shook her head and continued her assault. It was obvious that the monster she was dealing with was nearly done. Zack's, however, looked like it was born and ready to fight and hadn't done so in a few days, which was more than likely true to some extent.

Zack continued to lie on the ground running as many ways out of his current situation as possible. So far he had come up with one. Move his sword and let the damn thing eat him.

"I'm not too keen of that one." Zack mumbled under his breath.

When the roar of one of the monsters sounded Zack twisted his neck back to see what happened. Dawn had defeated her monster and was double-checking to make sure it stayed that way.

"Ah…" Zack stared in shock. He was brought back to reality and it's harsh ways when he heard what sounded like a cracking noise. "Oh, please not here…"

With one last roar the beast above Zack fell onto him with a loud thud. Zack managed to crawl out from underneath it and threw his sword on the ground. He had had just about enough of this. If Dawn was beating him at something he was made to do then he didn't see a point in almost anything. His childhood friend, a normal human, beating a one hundred pound monster before he could even make it weak ticked him off considerably.

"That's it," He yelled at the monster before him. It stopped it's angry growling almost as if it wanted to hear what he had to say. Maybe because he was about to kill him and thought it might have been nice if he let Zack say his last few words while he could.

"I've had it about up to here with you!" Zack said, holding his hand up as far as it could go to show just 'how far' he'd had it. "I am sick and tired of this place and all the people and MONSTERS that inhabit it!"

Zack started to stomp towards the monster that suddenly looked a little scared. He stopped his angry steps were the monster had previously been standing and ran towards it with a whole new determination.

"I'll kill you damn it!" Zack yelled. He ran towards the monsters face and punched it repeatedly. He then jumped back and ran towards the monsters side with such great speed the monster didn't have time to move. That or either he was too afraid to move due to Zack's awesome strength. Either one worked for Zack. One final move consisted of Zack using a charge attack. When his combos were finished the best fell before him and Dawn.

"What the hell was that?" Dawn asked in shock.

"Rush Assault. My mentor Angeal taught me it. He never really uses the giant sword he carries around all the time so he fights a lot with his hands." Zack explained.

"I see," Dawn said nodding. "I don't know about you, but I'm going home."

"Wh-why?"

"I've had enough for today. Being around you makes me lazy."

Zack watched as Dawn started to walk away. He looked back at the path to the reactor and stared at it. What if more monsters showed up?

"Hey," called Dawn's voice from behind. "Don't worry, I'll send someone up here."

"Uh yeah." Zack said with a nod. "What if they can't handle it?"

"They'll call me."

Zack nodded again and headed towards town with Dawn. He couldn't doubt his own people right? Well at least, not Dawn.

**Author's Notes:**

Holy shit what a wait! Ugh, man my life had sucked epically!

Cindy (My cousin's grandmother) was nearing her end

Cindy Died (May her soul be resting in piece in Heaven. Sorry if your not Christian, I do respect that though)

Chloe (My five year old sister) went to the hospital

Maria (my mom) got fired (had to take her laptop back so no internet for a while)

Sam's (my dad) foot started to hurt and we didn't know why

Sam's knee started to hurt (He wasn't working at the time and Maria still didn't have a job so we had five people on no income)

Cindy's funeral

Maria started to have chest pains (Still didn't have a job but was looking for one, still)

I kept getting hurt in school or at home (I'm the accident-prone child xD)

Blaze (Our American Staffordshire Pitbull Terrier who is a big puppy who loves to play and is reported to be illegal now) "attacked" a cable man

I had a bunch of school finals and projects to do (projects, at the end of the year? What the hell yo? I spent over $40 for school projects!)

For about a month I'd been freaking out about the world ending to the point of giving myself an anxiety attack. (If you are Christian even the Bible says the end is near)

I had to make a BUNCH of new accounts for multiple reasons (including one to make my boyfriend jealous since he claims we are in an open relationship I made a fake boyfriend xDD)

It was really hot and my family keeps the air off as long as we can during the summer and I got a new hamster for Christmas (Peanut's her name!) and I was panicking about her being okay. (We turned on the air now so she's fine)

My cat attacked me on the head and I sent myself into shock (I had blood running down my face and I saw how much it was and I just, you know, went into shock xD I was watching this alien show to so they said the end of the world was near and aliens would kill us and I was watching Queer as Folk, a great show with gay men and lesbian woman, mostly gay men though, and I don't remember making it to my room but I somehow woke up in there. While being in shock and watching TV I seriously fucked myself up. I couldn't tell real life from TV. I panicked for a bout a month.)

So now that school is finally out and all that shit has happened and ruined my life some more, I should be able to get some more of this story out faster. I am babysitting Chloe for the summer however and Maria wants me to spend time with her so I wont be able to type too much in one day.

I changed my name to Cruel Fleeting Life. So if that confused some of you, I am sorry! I will change all of my current account names or make new ones.

I also want to say that I had found a piece of paper I had written everything down on for this fanfic before I had even started it and it said that this fic was only suppose to be, like, seven chapters long. So far I'm on the seventh and still goning! I plan for it to go a few more maybe three or four.

I watched Labyrinth with David Bowie in it the night before the day I final finished retyping this stupid thing! It is now my fourth favorite movie! Advent Children Complete being my first, Advent Children being my second, and Last Order being my third. Brokeback Mountain is my fifth xD. I love David Bowie! He is the sexy Goblin King Jareth! Dance magic dance! Oh geez he sounds like Dymex xD. Which reminds me, you all should watch Dymex Time on Youtube! It is my favorite youtube show! Also watch BP Spills Coffee! Freaking funny as shit

Well, please review!

**Thanks:**

lady-yuna7

howlingwolf201

twilightserious

Dragi

loveboylove (omg that's great! I love it too! I love the name too xD)

victoria92179

YachiruJumps

nightslashcheetor (Sweet)

**Page Count:** 20


	8. Day 8

Cloud had to admit it. Staying at Aerith's house was boring. There was nothing for him to do and he couldn't sit in the garden and stare at the flowers all day. Well, he could but he had done enough of that all ready.

Aerith walked down the stairs with her phone up to her ear. Cloud looked up at her with a blank expression. She smiled back at him and stood next to his chair.

"Don't worry," she said into the phone. She paused so the person on the other line could talk. "Do you want to talk to him?"

Aerith smiled and handed Cloud the phone. He looked at her with a confused expression before she walked of with a smile on her face.

"Hello?" Cloud asked in a small voice.

"Hey Spike!" Zack said from the other line.

"Zack!" Cloud said, joy evident in his voice.

"Hey. How's it going?"

"Uh fine nothing bad."

"That's good."

"Yeah, um do you know when you'll be coming back?"

"In a couple more days hopefully!"

"Really?"

"I hope!"

"Zack I'm serious! I wanna know!"

"Someone should be out today to look at the reactor here. If we're lucky he can fix it in the same day."

"I doubt it."

"Come on Spiky you gotta look at the bright side."

"What bright side? I'm stuck here at girls house that I barely know, I'm eight years old and the only person who can really help is you and you're not here!"

"Hey, it's okay. Besides I can't help you that much."

"Yeah but at least I know you."

"Hey I'll be back real soon okay."

"You better."

Aerith had walked back into the room from the up stairs and over to Cloud.

"Bye, Zack."

"Bye, Spike. Just remember in a few hours we'll be able to see each other again and I can make you all better!"

"Whatever,"

"Hey, listen to me Cloud. Be happy for me okay? I hate hearing my favorite blonde all sad and down."

"Fine,"

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Alright, that's it then. I love you Spiky!"

"Wh-what? Uh I, uh…"

"It's okay you don't need to say it back." Zack chuckled.

"Um yeah,"

Cloud handed Aerith the phone and stared down at the table. He felt hot. He put the back of his hand to his cheek. It felt warm but that was probably just his body heat. Cloud started to get a little worried. He couldn't ask Aerith to check for him. If he were sick she would get worried. Then again what if he was sick. What if it was something about him growing up too fast! What if he died because of it, because he didn't tell anyone so no one could help him!

While Cloud was having a panic attack at the table Aerith finished the phone call and sat the phone on the table. She looked at Cloud who was bug-eyed and red.

"Cloud, what did Zack say to you to make you blush like that?" Aerith asked giggling.

"What?" Cloud asked, a little shocked.

I'm blushing? Why do I always blush when he says stupid stuff like that! He doesn't mean it! Even though it would be nice if he did. Only because no one but his mom told him she loved him.

"Cloud?" Aerith asked.

"Uh oh nothing."

"Hm, Alright."

"Do you really think Zack will be back in a couple more days?"

"I do. Do you?"

"Maybe."

Cloud got up from the table and headed up the stairs. He changed into a simple blue shirt and jeans.

When he got back downstairs Aerith was washing a few plates that had been dirtied by their breakfast. Cloud sat back down at the table and started thinking of things he could do for the day.

His thoughts were disrupted by a knock at the door. He looked to Aerith how looked towards the door.

"Could you get it?" she asked him.

Cloud nodded and walked over to the door. When he answered it. He really wished he wouldn't have.

"Hey there Little Blonde!"

"Oh Shiva…"

~X~

Zack hung up his phone and sat it on the table. He stared at it with a small smile on his face.

Just a couple more days, that's it.

"Boy why are you looking at your phone that way?" Zack's dad asked from the kitchen doorway.

"Huh?" Zack said dumbfounded.

"Your staren at it like it's a hot girl."

"Mmm women!" Zack said with a sly smile.

"Zachary!" yelled Zack's mom. She walked up behind him and hit him in the back of the head with a rolled up magazine.

"AHH!" Zack over yelled so his voice echoed off the walls of tiny house. He leaned forward so his forehead smacked the table.

"Stop being so melodramatic." Zack's mom scolded.

"Stop being so hitty!" Zack said sitting up quickly and pointing his finger at her.

"You haven't changed at all sweaty, besides I'm your mom I can hit you when you say nasty stuff like that. Just ask your father." Zack's mom said pushing his hand down and patting his cheek.

Zack looked to his dad who had moved out of his wife's way so she could get into the kitchen. His eyes were caste downward at his coffee and he was swirling it in his mug.

"Dad, does mom hit you with magazines?" Zack asked innocently.

"Woman seems to have one no matter where we are." He mumbled in response.

"What was that?" Zack's mom asked from the kitchen.

"Nothing!" Zack's dad replied quickly.

"I hope whoever I marry wont be like that!" Zack said leaning back in his chair.

"They better or else you'll live here while I live with your wife." Zack's dad mumbled again. He was getting ready to take a sip of his coffee when Zack said something.

"Look out," He said with his eyes closed, still leaning back in his chair.

Zack's dad gave him a confused look before he got hit in the head with a magazine.

"Ow woman!" Zack's dad yelled.

"Oh boy," Zack said with a sigh. "Well I'm goanna go."

He didn't receive a reply due to his dad telling his mom to stop hitting him with magazines. It wasn't a fight, it was more along the lines of Zack's dad asking his mom to not hit him with any more magazines because it hurt and made him feel weak and inferior to her even though he was because she was an all mighty woman and the only one of the house. Zack's mom knew she had both her boys under her thumb and that she could get them to do anything for her. She was nice about her power though.

Zack went to his childhood room and got the bottom half of his broken sword.

"Dawn was right, this sword is a piece of crap." Zack sighed.

"Zachary watch your mouth!" Zack's mom called. Since the house was small it was easy to hear a lot of what anyone said in the house. I other words there no secrets unless you could use telepathy.

"But all I said was crap!" Zack exclaimed.

"Don't make me come in there! I'll get the Gongaga newspaper!" She threatened.

"Don't think she wont boy!" Zack's dad yelled.

"Alright, alright I wont doubt you mum!" Zack said. He left the house with his sword in hand and headed over to the mako reactor.

When he got close to the first checkpoint he could see Dawn sitting on top of a boulder under a tree. She had a brim hat on but it was pulled down so he couldn't see her face.

"She's probably asleep." Zack mumbled to himself. He walked up to her and looked at the hat as if he could see her face through it.

"Boo!" Dawn said rude voice.

"Ahh!" Zack yelled jumping back.

"You're such a loser." She said chuckling.

"H-hey! I thought we were friends!" Zack said shaking his head.

"Oh come on don't get mad." Dawn said with an apologetic smile.

"Like I could get mad at you. We've been friends since we were six!" Zack said with a smile.

"Yeah," Dawn said nodding.

Zack leaned against the boulder she was sitting on and looked at the sky. He was excited about having the "Reactor Repairman" come out and finally taking a look at the damned thing.

"How long have I been here?" Zack randomly asked.

"Huh, oh um, including today, four days I think." Dawn said looking at the sky.

"Four days? Four days? I've been here four days and they're just now sending a repairman out here!" Zack yelled, stomping away.

"Hey Shin-Ra's a big business, Not everything there runs smoothly. I'm sure they had sent a bunch of repairmen to check the other reactors to make sure they were working right."

"Yeah, good point. Seriously though, four days?"

Dawn sighed in reply and leaned against the tree behind her and the boulder. She pulled her hat down so it covered her face again and remained quiet. Zack watched her for a few seconds before he quickly got bored. He started to pace but quickly noted that it didn't do him any good. He started doing his favorite past time, squats.

"What are you doing?" Dawn asked from under her hat. She could hear the sounds of Zack's clothes but was too comfortable to look to see what exactly he was doing.

"Squats lazy girl." Zack said in his gayest voice.

Dawn was quiet for a moment then sat up and lifted the brim of her hat enough to where she could see Zack doing his squats.

"What was that?" she asked chuckling.

"Eh, I got bored." Zack said still doing his squats.

"So you said it like that?" Dawn asked with a smile.

"Uh yeah! Geez you're so silly!" Zack said in his previously used voice. He stopped doing his squats to put his right hand on his hip and his left out to the side. Dawn started to chuckle at his pose.

"Man I feel like one of those manikins in clothing stores." Zack said laughing.

"You look better than most of them." Dawn said between laughs.

"I know right!" Zack said running up to her. He grabbed her hands in his and looked at her in the eyes with a serious face. It was a little scary at first. Zack never had a serious face unless it was important or business. Apparently there was another for joking around.

Dawn stared at him for a second waiting to see what he would do. He quickly got on his tiptoes and kissed her on the tip of her nose.

"Ha!" He yelled, throwing his hands in the air and running a couple feet away.

Dawn stared at him from where she continued to sit on her boulder and rubbed her nose with her hand.

"What the heck was that?" She asked, confusion clear in her words and on her face.

"I love you! I've been harboring these feelings since I first met you!" Zack replied standing in another pose. He had one leg stretched out behind him, his left hand on his chest and his right out in front of him pointed to Dawn.

"Whatever! If you did you would have remembered me all the years we've been apart!" Dawn said laughing again.

"Yeah I'm kidding I don't love you." Zack said straightening himself.

"You're a loser." Dawn said chuckling.

"Oh so we're back to name calling are we?"

"Yes, most and definitely."

"I don't wanna!"

With that Zack sat on the ground and pouted. Dawn stared at him with a small smile and pulled her hat back over her eyes to resume her silent sitting.

"Boo!" Zack yelled in her ear a few seconds later.

"AHH!" Dawn yelled, flailing her arms. She hit Zack in the nose and quickly jumped of the rock, threw her hat to the side and drew her blades.

"Owie!" Zack whined from where he lay on the ground.

"Wh… Zack!" Dawn yelled putting her blades away. "What was that?"

"Ugh, I got bored again." Zack said sitting up rubbing his nose.

"But, you were like five, seven feet away! How could you sneak up on me like that?"

"Uh hello! Nose Breaker? Yeah, in case you forgot, I'm a SOLDIER!"

"So your amazing?"

"Yeah! I'm a ninja yo!"

"Right. I guess that explains why your nose stopped hurting?"

"Yeah, the mako in my body causes super awesome healing powers! Of course if I got shot like five times it would take some time, or if I got stabbed. So simple things I can recover from quickly."

"I see."

Dawn crossed her arms and thought about her newly given information. She knew that mako made the human body stronger in multiple ways but wasn't really aware of it's full extent. She frowned then looked to her hat still on the ground. She walked over and picked it up, dusted it off and placed it on her head.

"What's wrong?" Zack asked.

"It seems like your really strong! Invincible in most people's eyes when really your not. You can be taken down just about the same as any other human." Dawn replied with a frown.

"I guess… I guess your right." Zack said thinking about it.

"I guess the reason everyone thinks your invincible is because of the added speed and strength." Dawn said kicking a rock.

"Man, you **are** right!" Zack said stomping his foot on the ground.

"Heh calm down turbo!" Dawn said with a smile.

"I've gotten rusty on fighting though." Zack said thinking back on the previous day.

"I thought it was kinda weird how you were, what do I wanna call it?" Dawn said tapping her chin in thought.

"Slow?" Zack answered.

"Eh maybe." Dawn said looking at him with an apologetic smile.

"That stupid crap sword broke too! I bet if you wouldn't have said anything about it it probably wouldn't have broke…" Zack said pouting.

"I might have jinxed you!" Dawn said with a smile.

Zack mock smiled and sat down on the ground.

"Why does Shin-Ra have crappy swords?" Dawn asked sitting on the ground in front of Zack.

"I don't know. It's the same as asking why they haven't sent a mako repair dude yet!"

"Didn't Seph tell you no one wanted you back?"

"Yeah…"

"Don't worry one's suppose to be coming out today right?"

"Yeah I think so."

"Well then," Dawn said standing up and taking out her phone. "I'll call and have someone take my shift and we'll go get that repairman!"

"Really? All right!"

Dawn quickly called someone who lived nearby and requested him to take her shift so she could go and pick up the repairman. After a few minutes the other guy showed up and Dawn and Zack left to go to the town entrance.

"How do even know when he'll be here?" Zack asked.

"Well I'm guessing soon. Since he didn't come early in the morning he would have to come by soon. Sephiroth did say he was having someone come by today."

"Good pointy smarty! You're like Cloud but older, taller, have black hair, darker blue eyes and are a woman!"

"Yeeaahh…"

After a few minutes of Zack pacing and Dawn faking sleep, a young man walked up to the entrance of the small town. He was wearing a uniform signifying his position in line of work.

"Excuse me sir but are you the SOLDIER that was sent here on the mako reactor mission?" The man asked.

"Yeah are you the mako reactor repairman?" Zack asked bouncing over to the man.

"Uh yeah. Would you mind taking me to the reactor? I've already been told everything you've passed on."

"Yeah, yeah of course! Dawn," Zack kicked Dawn in an attempt to wake her up even though she wasn't sleeping. "Wake up the guy's here!"

"Ow you ass! I wasn't asleep!" Dawn said holding her leg.

"Well maybe you shouldn't have your hat over your face so next time I can tell!" Zack said putting his hands on his hips.

"Um are you sure you're the SOLDIER they sent?" The reactor repairman asked cautiously.

"Yeah now lets go!" Zack yelled at the man. He pulled Dawn up to her feet and began bouncing in place. "Hurry, hurry let's go!"

"Zack," Dawn scolded smacking him in the back of the head. "Calm down. My apologies sir, he's been here for a while and would really care to be back at Shin-Ra."

"Um right of course." The repairman stuttered.

"My name is Dawn and I'm one of protectors of this town and a fellow villager, please allow me to also be your guardian and leader to the reactor."

The repairman seemed to relax significantly when Dawn finished explaining herself. He glanced over to Zack who was tapping his foot impatiently and had his arms crossed over his chest.

"Yeah, yeah that's great Dawn now come on dude! We have to hurry up and get this going!" Zack yelled again and grabbed the repairman's arm and pulling him forward.

"Zack you can't do that! You need to take a chill pill! Look at him!" Dawn said pulling on Zack's arm. Zack looked back at the man. He had a look similar to slight fear on his face.

"Oh," Zack said letting go of the man's arm. "Sorry. My name's Zack by the way."

"Uh Iris." The repairman said taking a few steps back.

"Like the flower or the part of your eye?" Dawn asked.

"Uh both in a sense."

"Both?" Zack asked.

"Um if my mother had a girl it was the flower if a boy the eye."

"I see." Zack said rubbing his chin.

"Let's go." Dawn decided.

The three headed off to the mako reactor and made it there without any events. Once they were inside Dawn stood outside the reactor to make sure no one would come in or any monsters would be eliminated.

"Where was the pipe that you found to be ruined?" Iris asked.

"There," Zack said, pointing to a nearby pipe with steam coming out of it. "I noticed something shiny in it but I'm not sure what it is or if it has anything to do with the problem."

"That pipe's broken…" Iris mumbled to himself.

Zack eyed him for a second then sat on the reactor floor and watched him work. Iris examined the pipe then took measurements. Zack quickly became bored and ended up falling asleep on the floor while sitting up. He was woken up when he fell over and hit his head on the steal floor.

"Oww! Shit!" He yelled holding his head and rolling back and fourth on the floor.

Iris quickly turned to look at him to see what was wrong. He saw Zack rolling on the floor holding his head and turned back to the pipe.

"You hit your head I'm guessing?" He asked.

"Yesss and it hurt like a bitch!" Zack replied in pain.

"I thought you were a SOLDIER?"

"I am!" Zack yelled. He jumped up and put his hands on his hips. "It just takes a while for my mako to kick in that's all!"

"That's great." Iris mumbled, still working on the pipe.

"You don't even care do you?" Zack asked in a dull voice.

"This steam is hot… Why did the pipe break anyway?" Iris continued mumbling to himself. He acted as if he hadn't heard Zack at all.

"Hey! Are you even listening to me?" Zack yelled.

"What?"

"Ugh," Zack walked over to where Iris stood and leaned against the wall next to him. "For a young person you sure do talk to yourself a lot!"

"Sorry it's what I do. Besides I'm working, I can't get distracted. You want to go back to Shin-Ra right? If you distract me you'll only be here longer."

"Distract you? Damn I wasn't even trying! Curse you sexy body!"

"Whatever."

"You're a lot like my little chocobo."

"What? I'm like a bird!"

"No! Cloud's not a bird!"

"Then I'm a lot like your pet?"

"No! Cloud is a human!"

"…Are you crazy?"

"No! Cloud is a human! He has this spiky blonde hair that reminds me of a chocobo! I call him Chocobo sometimes. He's the reason I wanna get out of here so much."

"Is he your family or something?"

"No he's a friend!"

"Why do you wanna see him so bad?"

"Because he's a baby!"

"Wait like crybaby or an actual baby?"

"He's an actual baby."

"Wait, at Shin-Ra?"

"Yes."

"Why is there a baby at Shin-Ra?"

"Because I had this materia and I didn't know what it did and it ended up being a Youth Materia which is thought to be a myth but it wasn't because I found one damn it and I turned my little buddy into a cute little baby!"

Iris stared at Zack like he was crazy. Who wouldn't though? Zack was taking deep breaths due to his last sentence being so long.

"Okay then." Iris said in a small voice then turned back to do his job.

"Ugh! You don't believe me do you?" Zack asked grabbing his shoulder and turning him around.

"Look you're a SOLDIER I can't help but say no."

"What do you mean?"

"Well a few reasons," Iris began, turning around back to the pipe. "One, you have trouble telling you dreams apart from reality, two, you're a new SOLDIER who has just gotten his higher mako dosage or three, the malfunctioning reactor could be messing around with your memories."

"I know this is real! I saw it happen! I was there I did this too my poor Cloud!"

"If he's your friend why do you keep calling him 'yours'?"

"Well because he's mine and I wont let anyone harm him!"

"Yeah."

"Get of my back will you!"

"Whatever. Can I just do my job?"

"Fine! Such an ass!"

"What? I'm just trying to do what I came here for!"

"How old are you?"

"Wh-what?"

"I said 'How old are you?'"

"Um I'm twenty."

"I knew you looked young!"

"Uh excuse me?"

"You looked really young so I figured either you **were** young, just looked really good, or took good care of your skin!"

"Uh thanks?"

"You're only two years older than me!"

"That's… great?"

Zack walked away from Iris and began pacing. He started thinking about Cloud and how much he really missed him. It felt like the little blonde was on his mind constantly. Which, in truth, he pretty much was.

After a few more minutes Iris turned to Zack and told him he just needed to place an order for a new pipe and shut down the valves. Zack nodded and started to leave the reactor with Iris following behind before he stopped and turned around to face Iris. Due to the sudden stop, Iris walked into Zack. They weren't that much different in height, nearly the same. Zack might have an inch shorter. It was a little awkward for Iris though. When he ran into Zack, their noses bumped. Iris could have sworn he felt something else touch though.

"Ow…" Iris mumbled, rubbing his nose.

"Oh you okay?" Zack asked slightly rubbing his own nose. He reached out a hand to attempt to move Iris' own so he could see his nose but Iris quickly moved away. There was a slight blush on his face.

"I'm fine!" He quickly answered.

"Oh, okay. I was just wondering when you think the pipe would get here. Or whatever it is you need ordered." Zack asked.

"Uh, if I place the order now it should be here by tomorrow afternoon.." Iris replied, still rubbing his nose.

"Ahh sweet!" Zack said with a huge smile. He ran out of the reactor and about tripped over Dawn who was sitting out right in front of the door.

~X~

Cloud quickly slammed the door shut and leaned against it. From the other side he could hear the muffled voices of the unwelcome guests.

"Now look what you did."

"Me? It was you!"

"I didn't show him my face."

"Are you saying my face is ugly?"

"No it's beautiful."

"I knew you loved me!"

"That was sarcasm you twat. No get off."

"I can't believe you would call me that!"

Cloud half listened as he wondered what to do. His thoughts were cut short when Aerith started talking to him.

"Who was that Cloud?" She asked.

"Um no one." Cloud replied in a small voice.

The same person who knocked the first time knocked a second time. Cloud kicked the door with the back of his heel in a reply.

"Cloud I think someone is out there." Aerith said raising a hand towards the doorknob.

"Uh, no it's no one really! I was just, uh, kicking the door!" Cloud quickly replied, kicking the door again to demonstrate.

"Why would you kick the door?" Aerith asked.

"Uh because it's… fun?" Cloud tried.

Aerith gave Cloud a knowing smile and gently moved him away from the door. Cloud backed up and stood by the table, cringing when Aerith opened the door.

"Oh hello." Aerith greeted.

"Hi there! We're here to check up on Cloudy!" came the same dreadful voice from before.

"We're friends of Zack. He asked us to help watch out for Cloud." Answered another voice.

One of them peeked over Aerith's shoulder and spotted Cloud.

"Hey there spiky butt!"

Sweet Odin why? What did I do to deserve this? Sebastian isn't that bad but Essai? Strike me where I stand please! He's worse than Zack! Cloud thought to himself.

"I don't think he like me." Essai said looking to Sebastian.

"Shiva knows I don't." Sebastian said.

"What!" Essai exclaimed.

"Anyways, we came by to see how the kid was doing." Sebastian said to Aerith, ignoring the now gaping Essai.

"Well he's doing fine. He's grown a lot since Zack left. When was the last time you say him?" Aerith asked stepping away to let the SOLDIERS through.

"It's been around three days."

"Well," Serith started, looking at Cloud. "This is how he is now."

Sebastian walked over to Cloud and squatted in front of him. He looked Cloud over then looked to Aerith.

"Do you know how old he is now?" He asked her.

Aerith walked over to stand next to Cloud and she placed a hand on top of his head. Sebastian stood and watched her actions. Cloud mad a small gasp after a moment and Aerith looked at Sebastian.

I freaking hate it when she gets in my head. Cloud thought to himself.

"He's nine now." She said with a sad smile.

"Nine? It's only been,"

"Four days!" Essai said from across the room.

"Since Zack left." Sebastian finished.

"Well he was about three or four when Zack first had to leave. As more time progresses Cloud will age more in one day than from the beginning. Now he's aging two years a day." Aerith explained.

"I see." Sebastian said looking at Cloud.

A loud crash caught the attention of the three of them. When they looked over they saw Essai with his hands in the air and a broke pot on the ground.

"Essai!" Sebastian scolded.

"Eh, he did it!" Essai yelled pointing at the stairs next to him.

"Who did it exactly?" Sebastian asked crossing his arms across his chest.

"Eh?" Essai said looking at the stairs. "Oh no! The person who did it fled from the crime scene!"

"That who commits the crime usually returns. Oh look you've returned." Sebastian said in a monotone voice.

"What! I have done no such thing!" Essai yelled. He ran over to Sebastian's side and looked at Aerith. "I am terribly sorry some random stranger came into your house and broke your vase! Thank Shiva there were no flowers in it!"

"Essai you are exactly what you just said broke the vase." Sebastian said rubbing one of his temples with his left hand.

Aerith stared at the broken vase with a small frown then looked at Essai. Eassai looked at her and gave a small embarrassed smile. She looked back to the broke vase and giggled.

"Zack's broken a few of my vases. I didn't think anyone could randomly brake one other than him." She giggled.

"Eh? Uh yeah! Heh me and Zack are a lot a like!" Essai said folding his arms behind his head.

"Yeah, your both ADHD idiots." Sebastian said shaking his head. "I just wanted to see how Cloud was doing and you broke her vase."

"Eh, yeah I'm really sorry." Essai said pouting.

"It's all right. It was an accident." Aerith said walking over to begin picking up the big broken pieces.

Sebastian smacked Essai in the back of the head.

"Ow! What?" Essai yelled.

"One, stop yelling. Two, go help her." Sebastian replied, holding up a finger for each thing.

"Fine, fine." Essai walked over to where Aerith was positioned over the vase and began helping her pick up the smaller pieces.

"Cloud, could you get me that broom and dust pan over there?" Aerith asked, pointing at a broom and dust pan over in a corner.

Cloud nodded and got the requested items and brought them to where Aerith's broke vase laid. She had gotten up to throw the bigger pieces away and walked back over to take the smaller bits from Essai. Essai to the broom from Cloud and began to sweep up the pieces. Cloud got down and held the pan on the floor so Essai could sweep up the pieces into it. Once done with the sweeping Sebastian took the pan from Cloud and emptied it into the trash. He then proceeded to put both the broom and pan back in the corner.

"Essai we've done what we came here for so let's head back. Cloud's doing fine." Sebastian said heading towards the door. "Thank you miss for taking care of him. We'll come back in a couple days if Zack doesn't return."

"Yeah we will! Hey Seb why don't you just head on out! I have something I wanna tell Cloud!" Essai said waving him to go on.

"Oh Shiva." Cloud mumbled.

"Don't traumatize him!" Sebastian scolded.

"Yeah, yeah don't worry!" Essai said making it look like he was walking towards Cloud.

Sebastian shook his head and left the house.

"So! I was thinking, maybe sometime I could come over and visit!" Essai said walking over to Aerith instead of Cloud. "You know, just me and you! No kids or Sebastians or anyone."

Aerith began to giggle at Essai's suggestive tone while Cloud rolled his eyes and leaned against the counter behind him.

"You should dit on my lap and watch me 'level up'!" Essai said with a cheesy smile.

Cloud blushed a little at the obvious hidden meaning and looked at the floor. Aerith started giggling more.

"My phone broke! It doesn't have your number in it! I'm like a Rubik's Cube! The more you play with me the harder I get! I'm a lesb-" Essai was cut off by Sebastian's hand. He had walked back into the house after having waited outside the door for him.

"You know what you are? A cut scene from those video game you play." Sebastian started, flinging Essai over his shoulder and walking towards the door. "Beautiful at first but then you never shut up."

"Oh Sebby! I didn't know you felt that way about me! I love you too! But I love Aerith more!" Essai yelled. "Hey lady! Don't give up on me! Don't burn you're hart out love till we're ash over seas!"

"Shut up! How do you even know that song?" Sebastian asked him.

Their voices slowly got quieter as the walked further away. Cloud had moved to the doorway to watch them leave. Aerith's laughter had died down and she seemed to have a small tear on her cheek, presumably from laughing so much.

"Those lines were about as bad as Zack's own." Aerith said with a smile.

Cloud rolled his eyes in understanding. He knew how cheesy they sounded from personal experiences. Zack's line weren't any better but somehow he managed to get all the ladies and on a few rare occasions a couple men. Then again men and women were just attracted to him like he was a freaking 'Fifty Percent Off Sale'.

Cloud forced himself to stop thinking of Zack and closed the door. He turned around and saw Aerith cleaning what few dishes were in the sink. Cloud started to head up the stairs to his left but instead got hit with the door.

"Ow…" He mumbled.

"Oh dear," A voice said from the other side of the door. Aerith's adopted mother peeked from around the door. "Did I hit you sweetie?"

"Yeah but. It's okay." He mumbled some more.

"Are you sure?" Elmyra asked again.

"Yeah I'm fine!" Cloud said. He quickly walked up the stairs. He didn't know why he was angry all of the sudden.

Geez I'm a freaking bipolar nine year old. Cloud thought to himself. Just a few more days…

Cloud climbed on top of the bed he was to occupy and lay down. He started thinking of what would happen when Zack returned.

He'll come get me; we'll go back to Shin-Ra, then… Cloud paused his thoughts Then what? What am I suppose to do? Will I even be fixed? Will I ever be the same again?

Cloud stopped his thoughts and instead day dreamed about him and Zack doing all the old things the use to do before this whole incident happened. Cloud ended up falling asleep with something similar to his rare smiles.

~X~

Zack and Dawn lead Iris to the Inn located in the small village and started heading to their own homes.

"You know I bet Iris likes you." Dawn said out of random.

"What? No way!" Zack said in disbelief. "Even if he was, who cares? He's not getting any of this!"

"Right you're saving it for Cloud aren't you?" Dawn asked, laughing.

"H-hey! That's not entirely true!" Zack yelled, blushing a little.

"'Not entirely true'?" Dawn repeated. "What's that mean?"

"Well it wouldn't be my first time!" Zack said with a smirk.

"Ew!" Dawn yelled punching Zack in the arm.

"What it's true!"

"You could be his first?"

"Eh maybe…"

"Ha!"

The two continued on making small talk till they reached their turns. They each split and went to their own homes. As Zack entered his house his cell phone went off. He took it out and opened it. The flashing icon on the screen showed that he had a new photo e-mail. He opened the file and read the text first.

**New Photo Message From: Aerith**

**Hi Zack, I went to check up on Cloud and this is what I found.**

Zack didn't even scroll down to the picture that came with the message. He was filled with fear now. What did Aerith find? What if it was Cloud dead! With his throat slit and he was gagged and all tied up! Zack scrolled down to the picture with a lump in his throat. Maybe he ran away and Aerith sent me a picture of his runaway note or something. As Zack reached a full screen of the picture all worries slipped away.

The picture was of Cloud sleeping. He was curled up in a little ball and had a small smile on.

"Shiva he's gotten big." Zack said with a smile.

"What was that boy?" Zack's dad asked from where he sat at the kitchen table.

"Oh I just got a picture from my friend." Zack replied, looking up from his phone.

"Of what?" Zack's mom then asked.

"Of Cloud." Zack answered.

"Of a Cloud?" Zack's dad asked.

"No **of **Cloud!" Zack clarified.

His mom walked over to him and looked at his phone's screen.

"Aw he's very cute Zachary." Zack's mom chided.

"Heh yeah." Zack said closing his phone and putting it in his pocket.

"So how do you know him again?" Zack's mom then asked.

"I know him from Shin-Ra."

"He can't be any older than seven!"

"I'm not sure how old he is now but I know it's not seven. He's older than that."

"Still he's too young."

"Well I'm pretty sure I've already told you before I accidentally used a Youth Materia on him and now he is re-growing up."

"You didn't tell me!" Zack's dad finally spoke up from the kitchen table.

"Well I told one of you!"

"I don't think you did honey." Zack's mom said softly.

"What? Ugh whatever." Zack said walking to his room. He lay down on his bed and thought about whom it was that he told.

If it wasn't Ma and it wasn't Pa then who did I…

"Shit it Dawn!" Zack yelled.

"Zachary Fair! Don't make me come in there with a magazine!" Zack's mom yelled.

**Author's Notes:**

I feel absolutely terrible about not updating at all this summer! It's just been absolutely terrible for me!

First, Sammy (my dad) got really sick and we thought he had throat cancer so I was living my life the way I would without a father.

Second, Sammy lost his job!

Third, I lost my job!

Fourth, Maria (my mom) lost her job!

Fifth, Maria's car caught on fire! (I tried to help put the bitch out! Then I left home for a day…)

Ultimately my life is still going terribly terrible. Please, please, please review for me? I really need something to get me up and out of my hell life.

**Thanks:**

Zaff18

CrazyCartSalad

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BubbleFairy03

Three-winged bird

Sparxyu

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HeartlessNobodyNamine

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Angel.

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**Page Count: **22


	9. Day 9

**Notes Before Reading: **Heh, so um, I changed Essai and Sebastian's looks. Sorry everyone! Eh, Essai now has black hair with a blue tint to it and just a lip piercing. As for Sebastian, he still has brown hair but his bangs are long and in his face and his hair spikes up at the back. Looks a lot like mine last year… Not that any of you would know that. Except for like one person who said she couldn't read my fic cause it was too long xD. For those of you who don't give a flying Chocobo about what they look like, please ignore this!

Zack sat up in his bed, took a lazy glance around the room and looked at his hands lying in his lap. For the first time, in a long time, he had woken up and sat in the same place for longer than three seconds.

"_I almost feel kinda helpless." _He thought to himself. He sighed then got out of his bed and changed into a new SOLDIER uniform. Once dressed, he grabbed his phone from his bedside table and checked the time. It read seven forty-five. He sighed and placed it in his pocket then headed down the short hallway to the kitchen.

"Good morning sweetie!" Zack's mom greeted him in her cheerful voice. "You're up earlier than usual."

"Eh, figured I'd make sure that mako reactor dude didn't skip out and make me wait any longer." Zack said, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"Still wanna get back to that rotten place eh?" Zack's dad asked.

"Hey, I work at that rotten place pops." Zack said shaking his head.

"So, doesn't change my opinion 'bout it."

Zack sighed and started playing with his gloves. His mom looked over at him then placed a plate of eggs and toast in front of him.

"No gloves at the table sweetie." She said patting her son's cheek.

"Ugh!" Zack whined. He took off his gloves and started eating his breakfast. When he finished he put his plate in the sink and put his gloves back on.

"You headen out?" Asked Zack's dad from behind his newspaper.

"Yeah, may as well. Nothing much to do here." Zack replied with a chuckle.

"You never change." Said Zack's mom with a smile. Zack was heading back to his room so he could get his broken standard Shin-Ra sword and head out when a nock at the door stopped him. When he answered it he was greeted with Dawn's smiling face.

"Good you're up! The piece needed for the mako reactor just came in!" She exclaimed.

"What? Just now? But it's way too early! How could they get something here that fast?" Zack questioned in astonishment.

"I don't know maybe there was a nearby factor that already had a piece made. Anyway what's it matter? You'll get to go see Cloud soon! Maybe later today!"

"Holy shit you're right. Let's go! Hi-ho Silver, away!" Zack yelled. He ran to his room, got his sword then ran outside, nearly running Dawn over in the process.

The mako reactor repairman, Iris, was waiting a few feet away from the house with a large box next to him. Zack nearly jumped on top of the box in pure excitement.

"This it right? It's in the box, right?" Zack questioned enthusiastically.

"Uh, yes it is." Iris replied in a bit of a nervous tone.

"Geez try and calm down some Zack, you're freaking the dude out again." Dawn commented.

"How can I calm down? I'll get to see Cloud soon!" Zack exclaimed throwing his hands in the air. Dawn shook her head and chuckled.

The three of them headed off to the reactor to install the new pipe, Zack happily bouncing ahead of the group the whole trip.

"Ahaha! Come on slow pokes hurry!" Zack yelled behind him. He picked up his speed and ran ahead over a small hill.

"He's always this energetic you said?" Iris questioned Dawn.

"Sadly, yes." Dawn said folding her hands behind her head. "He's got ADHD and it's something of a serious case. He's not that bad really. It's something you have to get use to. Let it grow on you."

After a few seconds of silence, Zack was seen rolling down the hill he had ran over not too long before hand.

"Zack, what're you doing!" Dawn yelled at him. Quite frankly it didn't look like a fun way to roll down a hill.

"Eh, there's a monster over there!" Zack exclaimed. He quickly got up and regained his balance. "I got it! You protect him okay?"

"But Zack your shit sword broke remember? It's on your back! Broken!" Dawn yelled at him. "How are you goanna beat that thing?" Zack had his back to Dawn as she was yelling at him. He turned his head a little over his shoulder so he could properly speak to her.

"I'm a SOLDIER. I wont let this stupid thing get in my of seeing Cloud." He turned his head back towards the hill and started running towards it. "Stay on this side and protect him with your life!"

On the other side of the hill stood the monster that oddly resembled that of a human, which had previously knocked Zack down said hill.

"Alrighty listen up ugly. This is what's up. I need to get home to see my friend and in order to do that I need to replace a pipe in the mako reactor. Since your standing between me and the reactor I'm kinda annoyed." Zack began explaining to the monster. "So, we can do this the easy way, you walk away and I kill you after the reactor is fixed, or the hard-!" Zack jumped back as the creature ran towards with a quick speed and lashed at him with its claws. "So, it's the hard way?"

Zack jumped forward and swung his fist at the monster's head. It connected solidly and knocked the monster a few feet away.

"Ha! What? In the end you're just goanna stand there and not defend yourself?" Zack questioned with triumph in his voice. The monster stood up and popped its neck. It turned to Zack and smiled. It's razor teeth seeming to glow with its black skin.

"Going down with a fight?" Zack questioned? He then jumped at the monster again and tried to land another blow to its face. The monster quickly dodged out of the way and punched Zack in his stomach, all in one swift movement. Zack fell to the ground holding his stomach. For a scrawny looking creature it sure had power to it. Then again all the other monsters he'd fought had been stronger than they appeared.

The monster stood in one spot and grinned down at where Zack kneeled. Zack looked up at the creature and noticed that its eyes seemed to flicker into a brighter yellow.

_Damn, that can't be good…Adrenalin maybe? Ah, doesn't matter, I've gotta stop this thing! _Thought Zack. He got up and charged at the creature again, this time hoping to connect a blow to it, even it wasn't to its face. The monster once again dodged and landed a swift kick to Zack's midsection again.

"You bastard that's the same spot you hit me in last time!" Zack yelled at the creature while holding his stomach again. "Believe it or not that shit hurts after a while! AGH! If I had a sword that wasn't broken your ass would be twenty miles from here!" Maybe yelling swears at a monster wasn't a good idea but hey, when you get hit twice, no more than thirty seconds apart, in the stomach by a monster with the strength of Bahamut, it kinda hurts. Zack had gotten a little fed up with the way things had been going. "All right I don't know about you, but I think I'm gonna get serious." The monster seemed to twitch its head to the left a little at hearing this statement. Zack got into his less familiar fighting stance so he could actually land a hit on the creature with his fists. _I may be use to fighting with a sword but I know I can take this thing down easy even if I don't have one! _Thought Zack.

He charged at the creature once again. This time the creature ran at him with the same speed and look of murder in its eyes. It took a quick lunge forward and attempted to claw Zack's chest but Zack quickly jumped to the side and brought his foot up to kick the creature in the face. Before Zack could even realize what was happening he felt his kick being stopped. He felt something holding onto his ankle with a force that easily hurt him to a low degree.

"Ah, let me go!" Zack said through slightly gritted teeth. He tried to twist his ankle out of the creatures hold but to no avail freed his foot.

The creature smiled and it's grip tightened. It pulled Zack's leg to the side causing Zack to hop on his one foot to get to a comfortable position. The creature pulled his foot to where he had hoped so that he was face to face with it. He could actually smell the things breath, which wasn't too bad but bad enough to make him wrinkle his nose. The monster opened its mouth and leaned its head forward in a quick motion. Before the creature got the chance to bite Zack's face off like it had planned, Zack had punched it in the stomach with his left fist.

"Ha, suck on that!" He yelled at it. The creature stood up straight and frowned. "Huh, didn't think you could actually hide those ugly teeth. Then again you've got a fat mouth so-"

"Man you're dumb!" Dawn yelled, effectively cutting him off. She threw one of he knives at the monster and hit it in its shoulder.

"Hey this is my show!" Zack yelled back. "I told you to take care of that mako repair guy!"

"How can I when I know there's action going on over here? Not to mention this battle will go on forever if I don't jump in and stop it!"

"What're you talking about?"

"All you've done is trash talk the damn thing!"

"What ever! I've hit it!"

"Yeah once!"

"Look out!" yelled Iris from behind them. Dawn quickly dodged the creature as it ran at her.

_I'm sick and tired of this. I'm a SOLDEIR. I have mako running through me and yet Dawn keeps showing me up! _Zack thought to himself.

"That's it." He said aloud. "I'm not gonna be shown up again. I will defeat this thing by myself. I don't need help. I can do this!" He ran at the creature and threw a barrage of hits at it. A few connected but most were dodged.

The creature still had Dawn's knife in it. Zack saw this and managed to get behind the creature and grab it. He then proceeded to pull out his broken standard issue Shin-Ra sword and slash at the creature with it. When the creature dodged the attacks Zack threw Dawn's knife towards her.

"Get back over there now!" He yelled at her. "I've got this! I wont let anything stop me!"

From what Dawn could see, it looked like Zack's eyes had started to glow.

"The mako?" She asked herself. He thoughts were cut short by sharp pain in her stomach. She fell to the ground and looked up to see the creature Zack had just been attacking. The creature then flew through the air as Zack kicked it away from her.

"I told you to get out of here!" Zack yelled at her again.

"I'm sorry, I'll go!" Dawn stood and began limping over to Iris.

Zack gripped the hilt of his sword tighter and stared down the monster that lay ahead of him on the ground. It got up and glared back at him.

"I'll kill you." It said in an eerie voice.

"The feeling is mutual." Zack replied.

They both charged at each other. The monster had its claws ready while Zack had his sword. He had managed to grab the monster's hand as it attacked him and had it twisted behind the creatures back. He then proceed to raise his sword to its neck. The creature stopped its flailing and turned to look at Zack.

"Its like I said 'I'll defeat this thing by myself.'" Zack said to it.

"Mako," the creature replied.

"What?" Zack asked it.

"Mako is what gives you and I both our strength. Can you really believe you will be stronger than every opponent you face? The world is filled with mako and once everyone gets it no one will be the strongest."

"SHUT UP!" Zack yelled at the creature. He slit its throat and let it fall to the ground.

"Your eyes," The creature struggled to say. "The mako, of a killer."

"JUST SHUT UP AND DIE!" Zack yelled some more. He slammed his foot down on the monster's chest and heard something snap. He continued his assault on the dieing creature until Dawn and Iris ran up.

"Zack, Zack!" Dawn called. She ran up to him and shook his shoulders. "Zack stop it, it's dead!" He looked at her with anger and hate literally glowing in his eyes.

"H-his eyes…" Iris said in a low voice.

"His face." Dawn said then. Zack seemed to snap out of his anger and looked at the broken remains of the monster.

"You've got its blood on you." Dawn told him. Zack shook his head and stood up. He put his sword away and turned to face the reactor.

"Let's go." He said. And with that started towards it.

The rest of the trip was uneventful as they made their way. Dawn and Zack took turns carrying the box that held the reactor piece in it. Dawn was unsettled with how quiet Zack was being. She wanted to question him but felt that it wasn't the right time.

Once they reached the reactor Zack took Iris and the reactor piece inside and leaned against the reactor wall. He had been lost in his thoughts ever since that battle with the monster.

_Why am I still thinking about that damn thing? _He asked himself. _Was it, the way I killed it?_ Zack frowned then started to pace.

"Are you alright?" Iris asked from where he stood.

"Uh, yeah, don't worry. You just fix that. I'm gonna go outside and get some air." Zack said. He left the reactor and found Dawn sitting on the ground cleaning her knives. He sat down next to her and sighed.

"What's up?" she asked him.

"Ah, well, I'm not really sure." Zack replied.

"Something's bothering you." She said. "I thought I heard that monster and you talking. What did it say?"

"Stuff about mako. How everyone could get it and become stronger. 'Once everyone gets it, no one will be the strongest.' is what it said."

"I bet he just said that because he was able to get a hold of it. Don't worry Zack, it was just a tactic to get you to think you were weak. Once your mind was on that, that ugly thing would have attacked you."

"I guess but, what it said, just really struck a cord with me."

Dawn stopped cleaning her knives to look at Zack.

"Your eyes were glowing. It was kinda scary." She said with a small frown.

"I just lost all control. I couldn't stop myself. When you stopped me and I saw that monster, I felt kinda bad." Zack said shaking his head. Dawn placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, you shouldn't feel bad for that thing! It hurt me and I'm sure it would, if it hadn't already, hurt a lot of people back in the village."

Zack stood up and started pacing again.

"I need a vacation!" He said with a loud sigh. Dawn laughed and stood up and stretched.

"Well when you get back to Shin-Ra you'll see Cloud again! I'm sure that'll make things better for you!"

"Yeah, man I can't wait!" Zack said doing a few squats. "I'm goanna go check up on Iris and see how he's doing!" Zack ran inside the reactor and nearly tripped over the box the rector piece came in.

"Hey, hey are you almost finished?" He asked eagerly.

"Oh, uh yeah. I have to get a few readings from the reactor and then, if everything shows up right, you should be able to go back to Shin-Ra." Iris said with a small smile.

"Fuck yeah!" Zack yelled and ran out of the reactor.

"He seems happier." Iris said. He frowned and rubbed his ear. "A lot louder too. I wonder what was wrong before." He shook his head and went back to his work.

Zack was outside cheering and doing squats. He was too excited to contain himself.

"Here I come Spike!"

**~X~**

Cloud slowly followed behind Aerith in the crowded streets of the slums. They were buying groceries for the next two weeks. He was stuck carrying most of it though. He couldn't complain though. At least he was out of the house.

_Man, when I get back to Shin-Ra I'm goanna have a shit load of work to do. History, Materia 101. Man, I'm goanna be even more behind in physical stuff. It's bad enough that I'm weak but now I have to be even weaker than normal-_

"Cloud?" Aerith called, effectively cutting off Cloud's thoughts.

"Oh, yes?" He replied.

"You seemed kind of dazed." She said with a smile. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He said with a small blush.

"Are you sure? If you're not feeling well we can go back-" Aerith's phone started ringing as she was in the middle of her sentence. "Hello?" She said into the mouth piece.

"Aha Aerith!" Came Zack's loud voice over the other end.

"Zack, it's good to hear you! Did you learn anything about coming back?"

"Hell yeah I did! Put Cloud on! I wanna tell him first! Don't take it personal babe I just really wanna tell him!"

"Don't worry I understand." She said with a smile. She handed Cloud the phone and listen to her best ability from where she stood.

"Spike guess what the fuck I just learned!" Zack yelled again.

"Must be something good if you're swearing." Cloud said with a chuckle.

"You're damn right it's good! I should be able to head home tonight!" Zack continued yelling.

"Really!" Cloud exclaimed.

"You sound happy just about as happy as me!"

"Uh, I didn't mean for it to sound like that." Cloud mumbled with a blush. "Not that I'm not happy that you're coming back!"

"Hey don't worry Spike, I understand!"

"Right,"

"So, I'll see you either later tonight or tomorrow morning. Or something along those lines you know."

"Yeah of course!"

"Okay, Hand Aerith the phone back, I have a question for her. See ya soon Spike. I love you."

"Ah, uh, um, dido." Cloud said with a blush. Zack laughed on the other line and Cloud handed Aerith her phone back.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Hey, could you tell me how old Cloud is?" Zack asked her.

"Sure." She said with a smile. She placed her hand on a startled Cloud's forehead and quickly determined his age. "He's twelve now."

"Twelve! Just yesterday you said he was eight!"

"He's aging a lot faster now Zack. I told you this would happen."

"Damn, isn't there some way you can find more out about the materia?"

"I could look it up in the slum library though I'm not sure if they would have anything about it."

"If you could, please. I'm goanna call my friend and see if he knows anything. Aerith, thank you, so much. For everything."

"Don't worry Zack, everything will be okay. When will we see you again?"

"Ah, either later into the night or tomorrow morning!"

"Alright, see you then!"

"Bye!"

Aerith put her phone in her pocket and looked at Cloud. He had a small frown on and was staring at the ground.

"Cloud, are you okay?" Aerith asked him. She put her hand on his shoulder but pulled it away when he jumped at the touch.

"Huh? Oh, uh I'm fine." Cloud replied.

"Is something bothering you then?" She pressed.

"Is Zack worried about me?"

"Of course!" Cloud frowned more at this. "Cloud, Zack worries about everyone. It's what he does. He only worries because he cares about you. Truthfully, I believe Zack might be blaming himself for this."

"He should, it is his fault. But, I don't want him to."

"Cloud," Aerith said with small smile. "Zack wants to fix his mistake is all." Cloud shook his head and looked to his side.

"Is there anything else you need? We shouldn't be standing around if there's still stuff to done."

"No, this it. Let's go back."

Aerith took a few bags from Cloud and walked next to him as they headed back to her house.

**~X~**

Zack ended his conversation with Aerith and quickly dialed Kunsel's number.

"Kunsel!" He yelled into the phone when Kunsel answered.

"Nice to hear you too." He said chuckling.

"Yeah, yeah, look what all do you know about the youth materia?"

"Other than how no one thought it existed? Lots of stuff."

"Well freaking tell me!"

"Okay, okay calm down! I could tell you it all over the phone or I could you it all in a message. Considering how important this is you might want it in a message. You tend to forget easily you know."

"Fine, fine just send it fast okay!" Zack hung up and turned to Dawn.

"Whoa, so a lot just went down!" Dawn said. "What exactly just happened?"

"Alright so I called Aerith and talked to Cloud and found out now he freaking twelve. Before this all happened he was sixteen! He doesn't have much time left before he shoots past that and something bad happens! I called my friend Kunsel, who is like a freaking genius and knows everything, and asked him to tell me what all he knows about the youth materia. Since he knows a lot he's just goanna send it all to me in a message!" Zack explained.

"I see." Dawn mumbled.

Zack began passing as seconds turned into minutes.

"Come on Kunsel! The time I really need you!"

**~X~**

Kunsel was typing out his message for Zack as fast as he could. There was so much he had read about the materia he knew it would take him a while to type it all out.

_I should have waned Zack how long it might take me to send this. _Kunsel thought to himself.

"ATTACK!"

Kunsel's phone flew from his hands and across the floor as he was tackled by an unknown force.

"What the-?" He asked from under his attacker.

"Kunsel! What's up?" Essai asked from where he sat on Kunsel's waist.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Kunsel yelled at him. He shoved Essai off and crawled over to his phone. He quickly resumed his typing and ignored the confused and slightly hurt Essai.

"I told you to stop attacking people unless they were an enemy." Sebastian said as he approached the now pouting SOLDEIR.

"Sebby he yelled at me!" Essai whined.

"A lot of people have." He said matter-of-factly.

"What's he so upset about?" Essai then asked.

"Probably the fact that you nearly killed his phone." Sebastian replied, lightly hitting Essai in the back of his head with his knee.

"So, no one should love a phone that much!" Essai pouted. He crawled over to Kunsel and peeked over his shoulder."

"When the director decides to take a walk on the SOLDEIR floor and sees you two sitting on the ground he's going to ask 'Why?' you do understand that right?" Sebastian asked the other two.

His question went ignored as Kunsel continued to type his message out.

"Kun-"

"Shh!"

"But I just-""SHH!"

"But-"

"SHUT THE HELL UP DAMN IT!"

"…"

Kunsel's phone was ripped from his hands before he could do anything.

"What the!" Kunsel exclaimed. He looked up to see Sebastian holding his phone. He had a deep frown on his face.

"Don't yell at him like that." He scolded. Sebastian knew how much Kunsel liked to send messages. Personally, he thought it was a little ridiculous.

Kunsel turned around to face Essai.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell at you." He apologized. "Sebastian please I need my phone back this is very important!"

"What's so important that would cause you to yell at someone like that?" Sebastian asked, still holding the phone.

"It's Zack! I have some information about the materia and I have to send it to him now!" Kunsel explained.

Sebastian's expression changed to one of understanding and gave the phone back. Essai had moved a few feet away from Kunsel and was now messing with his shoes.

"Essai what the hell are you doing?" Sebastian asked.

"Um, nothing." Essai said quietly.

Sebastian walked over to him and squatted down in front of him.

"You're not hurt are you?" Sebastian asked. Essai could tell he was joking with him.

"No! I just felt like being alone!" Essai said sticking his tongue out.

Sebastian flicked his nose and stood up. He watched as Essai whined.

"You'd do best to remember not to do that." Sebastian scolded.

"You're so mean." Essai said from behind his hand.

"I DID IT!" Kunsel exclaimed from where he still sat on the floor.

"You sent the message?" Sebastian asked.

"Yeah," Kunsel said standing. He brushed his backside of any dust and turned to face Essai and Sebastian. "I hope I didn't take to long."

"Did you just figure out all this information and that's why you were just sending it to him?" Sebastian then asked.

"Well, I kind of already knew it all. I don't know why I didn't tell him everything. I guess it was because I didn't know anything about fixing this whole problem."

Sebastian felt a tug on his pants and looked down. Essai held his arms up to Sebastian and smiled.

"You want me to carry you?" He asked with a raised brow.

"What's with you and the twenty questions?" Essai exclaimed.

Sebastian shook his head.

"A person who asks, knows." he replied.

"What. The. Fuck. Does. That. Mean?"

"It means he who asks questions knows more than he who doesn't." Said a voice from behind them.

"Holy shit!" Essai yelled in surprise.

They all turned to see the president's son, Rufus, standing behind them.

"You should also learn to use better language." Rufus commented.

"Ah," Essai quickly stood and saluted. "Yes sir! My apologies sir!"

"Hm, at ease." He said with a satisfied smile. "I've heard a few things. Mind if I ask you three some questions?"

"No sir!" Essai quickly answered. Sebastian and Kunsel nodded their agreement.

"I've heard that a materia known as the youth materia has made its way onto the property. Do you know were it is?"

Kunsel and Sebastian looked at each other.

"No sir." Kunsel replied.

"I see. I've also heard that there have been a recent string of attacks in the building." Rufus began.

The three SOLDEIRS jumped at the news. They hadn't hear anything. No one spoke of an attack on Shin-Ra and there hadn't been any noises or reports sent out of one either.

Rufus took out a small folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and began reading it.

"The attacker is said to have 'Black hair with a blue tint to it, blue green mako eyes, a red lip piercing and is wearing a SOLDEIR 2nd Class uniform.' Sound familiar?"

Essai turned a light pink and sucked his lower lip into his mouth.

"Uh, there are lots of people who um, look like that." He said in a quiet voice.

"Mr. Orton," Rufus began. "You've been causing trouble for a few days now."

"Yes sir," Essai responded.

"Do you think you can manage to stay out of trouble? Or do you need to be punished?"

"No sir, uh I mean yes sir, I mean… I can stay out trouble sir!"

"Good," Rufus turned and began walking away.

Essai stuck his tongue out at his back.

"Orton," Rufus said as he stopped walking.

"Ah, yes sir?" Essai asked, quickly pulling his tongue back into his mouth.

"I'm sure you of all people know that your tongue can be used in better ways than that."**(1)** Rufus said chuckling. He turned his back again and continued to the elevators.

Essai had turned a crimson red at the comment. He was not only blushing but furious.

"Why that stupid little!" Essai yelled. He started to march down the hallway after the man but was stopped. Sebastian had covered his mouth with his hand and held him back with an arm around his waist.

"Essai, don't listen to him. He's just stuck up." Sebastian said.

Essai tried to talk back but his words came out as loud muffled noises.

"Shh," Sebastian said a little patting Essai's mouth with his hand.

"Rufus is just a kid who thinks that just because his dad is the president means he can act anyway he wants to." Kunsel helped.

Essai bowed his head and frowned. Sebastian removed his hand from his mouth and let him go.

"Still, that kinda hurt you know." Essai said in a quiet voice. "I know I've been known for the stuff I did in my recruit days but still…"

Kunsel put a hand on Essai's shoulder and smiled at him.

"Hey, it's just Rufus. When he says stuff like that, don't take it too serious. After all what could he do, really?"

"Get me fired, fuck me, send me on a suicide mission, fuck me… rape me." Essai said in a dull voice.

"Shut up." Sebastian said with a frown. He grabbed Essai by the hair and pulled it so he was facing him. "You shouldn't talk like that and you shouldn't be attacking people."

"Ow, that hurts!" Essai whined.

"Let's go." Sebastian said letting go of Essai's hair.

"Wait, where are we going?"

"Training."

Essai nodded and started following Sebastian down the hallway.

"Bye Kunsel! Thanks for, heh, what you said!" Essai said waving.

"No problem! Be careful out there! You need to practice your stealth moves more!"

Kunsel watched as the two left then turned to look at his phone. He hadn't gotten a message back from Zack. His message shouldn't take too long to reach Gongaga. Then again it was four pages long. So it might take a little more time.

_I just hope Zack hasn't had a panic attack waiting for the message._

**~X~**

Zack was pacing back and forth waiting for Kunsel's message.

"I'M GOANNA DIE BEFORE I GET THE DAMN THING!" Zack yelled.

Dawn sighed.

"Hey, I know this important and all but, try and stay calm okay." She said with a small smile.

"No one seems to understand what I'm going through!" Zack whined.

"I guess that might be right." Dawn said stretching her arms above her head. "Not knowing how to fix something bothers people doesn't it?"

"Uh yeah most of the time!"

The two stood in silence together for a few minutes until Zack's phone went off. He quickly flipped it open and navigated to his messages.

"KUNSEL!" He exclaimed upon seeing the message from said person. "I'd kill you if you weren't so important to me!"

Zack read the message as quickly as he could. Unlucky for him however, he managed to think at the same time. He ended up thinking about finding the solution to his problems and how everything would be after words. Once he finished reading the first page he realized he didn't remember a word it said. This caused him to have a mild frustration attack.

"How can someone even manage to do something like that?" Dawn asked him after he explained what happened.

"Ah! I don't know!" He quickly but carefully reread the message again and this time understood it all.

"So, anything in there that helped you?" Dawn then asked.

"Not really." Zack said with a frown. "Damn it. What am I suppose to do?"

"Maybe you'll find something when you get back to Shin-Ra." Dawn suggested.

"I've finished the repairs." Iris said from behind them.

"FUCKING SWEET!" Zack yelled. He shot his fists in the air then ran over and hugged Iris. "You're the awsomest person I know right now. Besides Kunsel. Sort of. I guess Cloud is pretty high on my 'Awesome People' list then again."

"Uh, thanks?" Iris asked slowly.

"Yeah!" Zack ran a few feet away from them. "Come on let's go!"

The three made their way back to the village without any events. One their way back Iris had called in a transportation request back to Shin-Ra and was told that the transportation would be there in a few hours.

"Seriously! A few hours!" Zack exclaimed.

"Yes, seven at the most." Iris replied.

"SEVEN! THAT'S NOT A FEW!" Zack shouted, flailing his arms.

"Calm down!" Dawn scolded.

"Screw you!"

"What did you say!"

"Leave me alone!"

"I'll kill you you fat headed fat face!"

"What finally decide to sensor yourself you girly little prick!"

"HEY! I'M NOT GIRLY!"

"Pretty pretty little girly girl!"

"Shut up! I'll kick your stupid SOLDEIR ass all the way back to Shin-Ra!"

"What the hell 's goen on out here?" Shouted Zack's dad from a few feet away.

"She started it!" Dawn and Zack yelled at the same time while pointing at each other.

"Did you just call me a she!" Zack yelled.

"Damn straight!" Dawn replied.

"Zack!" Zack's dad called.

"What!"

"Calm down ya moron!"

"Whatever," Zack mumbled.

Dawn laughed at him and stuck out her tongue.

"You two haven't changed in the least bit." Zack's mother cooed from next to her husband.

Zack flipped Dawn off and started walking to his house. He was stopped in his tracks by a heavy force pushing him to the ground. Dawn had jumped on his back and tackled him. The two started rolling around fighting.

"Shouldn't someone stop them?" Iris asked a bit worried.

Zack's dad looked around the ground next to him. He spotted a rock next to his shoe and picked it. He tossed it in the air a few times getting its weight.

"Harold!" Scolded Zack's mom.

"What? You want the fight stopped or what?" He replied.

Zack's mom shook her head and pulled a magazine out from her apron. As Zack was sitting atop Dawn with his fist raised, she quickly smacked him in the head with the magazine.

"OW!" He yelled. "What was that for!"

"Don't start fights young man!" His mom scolded.

Zack stood up and rubbed the back of his head. He frowned and looked to Dawn, who was now standing. They both ignored the dust on their clothes and walked off together.

"I can't believe you were about to hit me." Dawn said.

"Eh, I can't hit a girl, it's not right."

"Why's that?"

"Well it's not right to hit anyone I guess."

"Whatever. Nice excuse."

"Yeah, yeah."

Iris stood in the same spot watching as the two made idle chat as if nothing had happened. He blinked a few times and headed to the inn to pack his things.

About six hours later A transportation vehicle arrived for Zack and Iris.

"Hey," Dawn said as she stood next to Zack. "It was really nice to see you again."

"Yeah, same to you. I'm sorry I forgot who you were." Zack said with a small smile.

"Heh, it's okay. I never really though of you much while you were gone either."

They stood there a few seconds in silence.

"I wish, we could have had our reunion under better circumstances." Zack said.

"Yeah,"

"Hey, let me get a picture of you so I can show Cloud!" Zack then exclaimed.

He pulled out his phone and put it on the camera mode. Dawn smiled and held up a peace sign. Zack took the picture and smiled.

"Now, you know, I need one with both of us." Zack said chuckling.

They both laughed and stood together. Zack slung his arm over Dawn's shoulder as she placed her hand on top of Zack's head. They both smiled and Zack took the picture from an angle above their heads.

"That's a keeper!" Dawn said as they looked the pictures over.

"Now I'm goanna have to get one of my parents."

"Why all the pictures all of a sudden?"

"Well I haven't been here in a long time and who knows when I'll get to come back. Not to mention this is my home!" Zack said with a smile. He walked over to his parents and explained the whole process.

Once the pictures were taken he gave his mom and dad their goodbye hugs and kisses. He then got onto the truck and waved one last time.

"Whoa Zack don't forget this!" Dawn said. She held out his phone and gave it to him.

"Wait a sec!" He stood up and patted his back pockets. "How did you get that?"

"I pick pocketed you." She said simply.

"What!"

"Don't worry, I only took your phone! I wanted to see your photos again. There are some on there I hadn't seen before. When'd you take them?"

"A few times I went off early and took them."

They smiled and said their final goodbyes and left.

"You sure do know a lot of people here." Iris commented.

"Nah, it's just a really small place. Not to mention I was well known when I was a kid." Zack commented with a smile.

"Really? What for?"

"Eh, getting into fights, flirting, disappearing, being hyper active. I was a active lady's man!"

"When you say it like that…"

"Aha!" Zack laughed. "Na not like that. Not until I was fifteen anyways."

Iris decided, at that point, that Zack was an open person who told things he would rather not know.

**Author's Notes:**

**(1) **Yeah, I totally made Essai a whore. J I'll just say he was very "active" when he first joined SOLDEIR. Then he met Sebby!

Aha! So ahem… It's almost the end of March… and I said I would have this updated by the beginning of March. My brain must of thought the beginning of March next year or something…

I guess one of the reason it took so long for this was because I had a HUGE writers block for like four months. Haha! Okay then, I should have like, the next two chapters up in a few second after this one! My way of an apology for not updating for seven months. I did post a Valentine's Day fanfic if you all haven't read that yet. It's another Zack/Cloud fic and they do more than just hug! OMFGWTFBBQ!1! I know right.

I suppose another thing for not updating would be my life. AGAIN! It sucks. My ex-boyfriend is stalking me and ah my family is so poor… It's rather sad really. I've lost so much care now that it comes to the situation my family is in that if I really wanted to know something I'd have to listen into phone calls. Ah, whatever! That doesn't concern you guys! I'm sure you don't care so heh, just forget that! J

**Please review and tell me how pissed you are at not updating in SOOO long! Please! I'm so serious about that! Like, I REALLY WANT TO KNOW! I need to get yelled at so I can keep updates coming and not kill my fans in waiting!**

**Page Count: **16 maybe? Who cares…**Materia Findings Thanks:**Kendeciairon-shadow

Angel. (Tight name)Dragihowlingwolf201 (Tight name also)Wingsong5555()

Clockwork Phoenixtsukiko94QUEEN EEVEE (What is it with Eevee and its popularity!)Cloud Strife123 (OMFGCloud reads fanfics featuring himself! XD)

Victoria92179 (BEEN HELPEN ME NOT BE LAZY!) :Dsexy evil nat (Sexy name xD)black cat686 (Nyaa! Er, meow!)chocolate101 (Sounds tasty! XD)

HeartlessNobodyNamine (I knew Namine liked yaoi! Or what ever this turning out to be…)fallendestinyxx (Awesome name as well)

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tawneyeyes10Kusanagi Hikari (Most realistic name I've seen on this site yet!)Nella-mangalover93 (I loves me some manga too)

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Gabe-Raph-Mikey (I have a little cousin named Gabe XD)

TOWTWUCKER (AWESOME NAME! ITS SO CUTE! :D)**Valentine's Day In Midgar Thanks:**anabel the lady shark (Watch out she eat you)OmnomnomChomp (HA! SHWEET!)

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**PLEASE REVIEW!**


	10. Day 10

It was interesting how fast Zack was able to get back to Shin-Ra.

"Yet it takes me a whole freaking day to get to Gongaga!" Zack complained aloud.

"Didn't you all stop for the night before you got there?" Iris asked him.

"Oh, right." Zack said rubbing the back of his neck. "So! That was such a pointless detail that if this was being a documented story it would have been left out!"**(1)**

Iris shook his head and helped Zack get his stuff out of the truck.

"Well Iris," Zack began. "It was a real bitchen time haven you around!"

"Um, thanks?" Iris said with a confused expression. He extended his hand to Zack who took it then pulled him into a hug.

"SWEET SHIVA I LOVE YOU!" He yelled.

"W-WHAT!"

"YOU GOT ME BACK HERE TO SEE MY PRECIOUS!"

"Hey!" yelled one of the security guards near them. "It's fucking six in the morning!"

Zack took out his phone and looked at it.

"Nu uh it's six-thirty." He said holding it up to the man. He frowned then glared at Zack.

"Just get the hell out of here." He said turning away from the raven. Zack let go of Iris and put his phone away.

"Fine, fine. I've got more important places to be anyhow." Zack said. "See ya Iris. I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am." and with that, Zack left the unloading zone and made his way to the train station to get to the lower on the train, Zack could barely contain himself. He was losing himself in his thoughts. He was pacing back and forth waiting to reach his stop. He was contemplating on calling Aerith or just showing up at random.

_It's seven in the morning… _Zack thought to himself. _I'm sure that they're awake by now. _Zack was brought from his thoughts by a voice on the intercom.

"We will be reaching our destination of Sector 5 in five minutes."

"Why can't it be one minute?" Zack whined. When the train did reach its stop, he quickly jumped off and ran towards Aerith's house.

**~X~**

"Did you sleep well?" Aerith asked Cloud. Her voice was filled with more excitement than normal.

"Not really," Cloud said with a smile. "How could I? Zack said he'd be coming back soon." Aerith giggled and nodded.

"I know, I was just wondering!"

"Right," Cloud said in a quiet voice.

Earlier that morning, not long ago really, Aerith had done, what Cloud liked to call, her weird magic trick and figured out his age. She had told him that he was fourteen. Two years younger than what he had started at nine days ago. Everything would be okay though once Zack showed up. It had to be.

"Was his mission originally planned to be this long?" Cloud thought aloud. It came out severely mumbled and caused Aerith to question him. "Ah, nothing. I was thinking out loud." He reassured her. He got up from where he sat at the kitchen table and pushed in his chair. "Is there anything I could help you with?"

"No, no, you just take it easy!" Aerith said with her same smile.

"I've been taking easy for a long time now."

"Then you should water the flowers. I'm sure they'll be okay with you watering them this time."

Aerith turned to locate her watering can when the door opening caught her attention.

"Guess who's back!" Sang an all too familiar, and an all too much missed, voice. Cloud spun around quickly and saw the older teen he had been craving to see.

The reunion was a sweet one that went a little too far and a little too fast for either to grasp. What started as a running hug was quickly turned into a running kiss hug.

Zack had opened his eyes to realize he was kissing his best friend. Cloud had a look of complete surprise on his face while Aerith just stared with wide eyes. Zack pulled away from his younger friends mouth and bit his lip.

"My bad." He whispered. The next few seconds were more than awkward. "Um, my excitement got the best of me?" Zack tried. Cloud and Aerith just stared at him in disbelief.

"You just," Aerith began but cut herself off with a giggle. Zack blushed a pale pink and rubbed the back of his neck with an embarrassed grin. Cloud remained rooted to his spot replaying what exactly had just happened. He brought back to reality when Zack hugged him.

"I really am glad to see you Cloud. In case you didn't know." Zack said into his younger friends hair. Zack was starting to feel bad. Cloud wasn't returning his hug. He might have really screwed up the whole "Happy Moment" by kissing the kid. What ever at least if people try and make fun of him for not kissing someone after this he can say he did get his first kiss at age… How old was he now?

"I'm, fourteen." Cloud mumbled.

"Huh?" Zack asked looking down at him.

"You didn't know how old I was. I'm telling you now."

"Ah, it's kinda funny, I was wondering how old you were, then you said it." Zack smiled at the blonde mass of spikes in front of him. He felt better having Cloud actually say something to him.

Cloud raised his arms and wrapped them around Zack to his best ability.

"I'm glad you're back too." He said quietly. Zack smiled and, to Cloud's unwelcome surprised, picked him up and squeezed him.

"It's glad to know the feeling is mutual!" Zack exclaimed.

**~X~**

After Zack had left Aerith's house with Cloud and all his "time being" belongings, they both returned back to Shin-Ra. They went to Kunsel's apartment and were now lying on the guest bed. Zack wanted to thank Kunsel but he didn't want to leave Cloud either. He decided it would be easier if they just went to Kunsel's place and crashed there for the night.

"So, what was wrong with the reactor?" Asked Cloud's quiet voice from where he lay in Zack's arms.

"In an easy way of saying things, it was sucking out too much mako." Zack replied. "I have a question for you."

"Hm?"

"I was told some things. I'd like to know, where did you learn your special little ninja move?" Zack asked poking Cloud's nose.

"Ninja move?"

"You were running from Sebastian and Essai not long after I left." Zack said with a smile. "Essai said Sebastian was chasing you and he almost had you until, all of a sudden, you ended up behind him, running the other way. He said you 'did a weird jump back flip turn' and got right behind him."

"That," Cloud began, fiddling with his fingers.

"Care to share Spike?"

"I learned it in training a while back."

"They never taught me anything like that."

"It's, new. They think SOLDIERS shouldn't be taught it though because it's such a basic technique. "

"I think, someone's a liar!" Zack said louder than they had been talking, which was barely over a whisper. He squeezed Cloud and nuzzled the top of his head. "Tell the truth or I'll hug it out!"

"Ah, okay, okay! I made it up back in Nibelheim!" He exclaimed.

"Why would you need something like that? You weren't the weird kid who played ninja by themselves were you?"

"No,"

"Then what? Why would you need that?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Does too."

"Not."

"Too."

"Not!"

"TOO!"

"What the hell are you two arguing about?" Kunsel asked with a small laugh from his spot in the living room.

"Stuff that doesn't involve you!" Zack answered. He then turned to cloud and grabbed his chin in his hand and gave his most sincere smile, one often used to get women to say yes to a date. This one felt like it had more meaning to it though.

"You shouldn't lie to someone as big as me." Zack said. Even though he was joking Cloud couldn't help but be mesmerized by that look. It was no wonder he always had some girl with him half the time.

"I, uh," Stuttered Cloud. He turned away blushing slightly and tried again. "In Nibelheim I wasn't really liked much. Being bullied is something I've grown up dealing with. One day when these kids were messing with me, I managed to do that, 'ninja move' and get away. Ever since then it's become a natural reflex in certain situations." Cloud rolled away from Zack as best he could on the small bed and looked to the floor.

Zack noticed Cloud trying to get away as if he was ashamed of himself. He frowned and wrapped and arm around the younger's waist and pulled him back against him. He stuck his nose in the mass of blonde spikes and inhaled. In all honesty, he had missed the smell of Cloud's hair.

_That doesn't sound creepy. _Zack sarcastically thought to himself.

"I think that's an interesting story, not one I'd like to hear ever again, but good enough." Zack said with a small smile. "What if I went there, found those kids and beat them up?" Cloud chuckled and turned to face Zack.

"I wouldn't want you to kill them." He said with a smile.

"You sure they don't deserve it?" After their laughter died down, silence filled the room. It was a comfortable one though. They stared at each other studying the others face. It seemed like they had been apart for so long that they had forgotten one another. Even their missions never kept them apart as long as this one had. Well, it didn't seem like it. Zack pulled Cloud closer, if possible, and held him to his chest.

"Damn I missed you." He said. Cloud hugged him back and smiled.

"I missed you too."

"Oh, hey, I heard you wouldn't eat the first few days I was gone. Why?" Zack asked Cloud.

"I couldn't really, grasp the fact that I was a kid and that, I had to go along it alone."

"I'm sorry."

"There's no reason to be sorry."

"Sephiroth knew what was going on and he still sent me on that damned mission. I don't care if it was my home. I needed to be here with you."

"Zack,"

"Yeah?"

"Just, don't leave me again. Not now anyways."

"I wont leave. I promise."

The two of them laid there in silence until they both fell asleep. Zack woke up twenty minutes later. Cloud was still tucked away in his arms asleep. Zack smiled at him and moved a strand of hair out of his face. He carefully maneuvered Cloud and got up without waking him. He started walking into the living room, where he was sure Kunsel would be reading or watching the news, but stopped in the door way. He turned and looked at Cloud for what seemed like an eternity. When his "thirst" for looking a Cloud was "quenched" he went into the living room and sat down on the couch where, of course, Kunsel was.

"Hey, have a nice nap?" Kunsel asked him.

"What were you spying on us?" Zack asked with a smile.

"Well it got quiet and I went in there to see what happened and you two were asleep." Kunsel explained.

"Yeah, yeah whatever." Zack joked. Kunsel punched him in the arm. Zack gave an evil smile and tackled him on the couch.

"Ow, Zack get off!" Kunsel laughed. "You'll wake Cloud up!" Zack sat up so he was sitting on Kunsel's legs. Kunsel sat up and looked at him. "Could you get off me now?" He asked.

"Yeeeaaah- no." Zack said with a smile. He then proceeded to get close to Kunsel's face. "You know, I wanted to thank you for everything you've done. For me and Cloud." Kunsel started to lean away from his progressing friend but the thought of him sitting on his legs led him to thinking there was no escape from what was about to happen. His cheeks had turned a pale pink and Zack didn't seem to sense the tension. He continued his advancement until it seemed like they were sharing the same breath. He would have gotten farther it a flying object of doom wouldn't have hit Kunsel in the face.

"Holy Shiva!" Zack yelled. He turned around to see who threw it but no on was there. Kunsel was laying on the couch holding his nose. Once he was sure it wasn't broken he sat up, only to be knocked back down with Zack's weight.

"Dear Odin Zack get off of me!" Kunsel whined.

"Kunsel," came Zack's shaking voice from Kunsel's shoulder.

"Hey, are you okay?" Kunsel asked him.

"I think… THIS PLACE IS HAUNTED!" Zack yelled.

"Zack, it's not!"

"Then what the hell was that!" They both looked around the floor to see what hit Kunsel.

"It was a book." Kunsel said pointing to a book lying on the floor.

"But who threw…" Zack began but slowly trailed off. He got off of Kunsel and looked to the doorway of the room he and Cloud were sharing. "I'll be back." He went to the room and closed the door. He flipped on the lights and sat on the edge of the bed next to were Cloud's lying body was.

"Spiky, did you throw the book?" Zack asked in a quiet voice. Cloud rolled over and looked at Zack. He looked away after a few seconds though. Zack chuckled and lied down next to him.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked with a smile.

"Why were you so close to him?" Cloud countered.

"Oh, am I detecting jealousy?" Zack asked, leaning over Cloud.

"No! I just didn't want you to eat his face or something! What did you plan on doing?"

"Uh huh sure. Well I planed on give him a…." Zack stalled to build the 'expense'. "Kiss. I'll come right out and say it. But Cloud, it wasn't goanna be anything big. Just a peck on the cheek. I kissed you more than that when I first came back here." Cloud rolled over again to face him. Zack could see a blush covering his cheeks and he poked him. "You know you're my love." Zack said with a smile.

"Stop messing around." Cloud said swatting Zack's hand away. Zack laughed again. "What?"

"That was so funny! You threw a book at him!" Zack said between laughs. Cloud sighed and got up. He went into the living room where Kunsel was now sitting up and rubbing his head. Cloud walked over to where the book had landed and picked it up, set it on the table then sat on the couch next to Kunsel.

"Hey, Cloud," Kunsel said with a smile. "Have a nice nap?"

"Yeah, um, sorry." Cloud replied.

"Sorry? For what?"

"Um, for having you take care of me, and beating you up a long time ago."

"Oh, Ha-ha, don't worry about that!"

"And for throwing the book at you." Cloud quickly added.

"Huh?" Kunsel looked at him in disbelief.

"Ha-ha! Yeah little spiky here threw that at you!" Zack said as he entered the room. He had just gotten over his laughing fit but was quickly entering a new one. He sat next to Cloud on the couch and slung his arm around the blonde's shoulders.

"Really?" Kunsel asked with a smile. "It was a bit hard to believe that a book came out of nowhere and hit me in the face. So why then?"

"Um, I saw that Zack was being weird so I thought I'd try and stop him, only I missed and hit you." Cloud explained. He wasn't telling the truth but he wasn't exactly lying either. He meant to hit Kunsel in all honesty.

"Well thanks for your help." Kunsel said with a smile. Cloud nodded and turned to face Zack who seemed to be passed out from laughter.

"Hey you're not dead are you?" Kunsel asked him. He reached over Cloud and poked him in the cheek. Zack quickly turned his head and bit his finger. The three of them sat there and stared at each other. Cloud and Kunsel's stares being directed at Zack while his was directed at Kunsel. "You're a dick." Zack frowned and bit his finger harder.

"Ah, he's biting harder!" Kunsel yelled. He tried to pull his finger out of others mouth but failed. Cloud grabbed Kunsel's hand and tried to help him.

"Zack, what the hell let go!" Cloud yelled at him. "It's not fair! You're stronger than us!"

Zack let go of Kunsel's finger and stretched back on the couch.

"Kunsel you taste like chocobo." Zack said nonchalantly after he was done stretching. Kunsel and cloud examined Kunsel's finger.

"You douche you left your teeth print on me!" Kunsel yelled holding his finger in Zack's face to see. He quickly pulled it back to his chest once Zack opened an eye to see the damage.

After a few more hours of messing around, Cloud and Zack decided to get some more sleep. Kunsel was thankful none the least.

**~X~**

When the time came that they were all awake and ready for the day, Zack and Cloud headed to Aerith's church so she could tell them how old Cloud was. On their way down the hall towards the elevators, Angeal stopped them.

"Zack." He called from down the hallway.

"Angeal!" Zack exclaimed. He ran down the rest of the hallway and planned on doing a running jump hug, or a glomp as he and a lot of people called it, but Angeal held out his hand which meant something along the lines of "Don't do whatever the hell it is you're doing this time.".

"I have a question for you." Angeal continued.

"Yeah what's up?"

"Why where you running through these hallways with a baby a few days ago?"

"I-I never did that!" Zack nervously, and poorly, lied. "You, you crazy, crazy man you! Y-your silly! Your silly! Ha-ha! I gotta go now!" and with that he grabbed Cloud's hand and ran away.

**~X~**

"Zack!" Aerith exclaimed when said man and cloud walked through the church doors.

"Hey doll!" Zack greeted. "I was wondering if you could-"

"Don't worry about it!" Aerith did the same steps she had done all the times before to tell Cloud's age. "He's sixteen."

"Hey Spiky that's how old you were before all this." Zack commented.

_But what if I keep aging… _Cloud thought to himself.

"Wait," Aerith spoke up. "He's, stopped aging. He's back to normal!"

"Whoa what!" Cloud and Zack exclaimed in unison.

"You're fixed! How did you guys do it? He should he kept aging till his set fate happened."

"We didn't do anything! Well wait I did kiss him when I got back."

"Oh you've got to kidding me!" Cloud said with a loud groan.

"Ha-ha! I guess the power of true love really does conquer all!" Zack said pulling Cloud into a kiss.

"Heh heh, hurray!" Aerith giggled jumping up and down.

**Author's Notes:**

**(1) **Um since I already posted the chapter where he went to Gongaga and I don't feel like rewriting it just to put this part in I totally just made zack say how pointless it was and we'll keep it at that! J

Ahaha! That's right! I gave it some fairytale ending! I hate that true love crap but in all honesty I didn't have a sure for cloud even when I started writing this a year ago. Yup for about a year I had been trying to figure out how to fix him. Ha-ha!

So I'll let you all decide whether or not this is the last chapter!

I should have my drawings, the ones that should have been done a year ago, on my deviantart account soon. Probably after I post my last chapters plus some new fanfics. So like the same day maybe.

**Thanks:**

EVERYONE WHO HAS REVIEWED, FAVORITED, ALERTED, WATCHED AND BEEN HERE WITH ME TILL THE VERY END!

**PLESASE REVIEW! Thank you! J**


	11. Cloud's Letter

Dear Mom,

I'm sorry I haven't written in a long time. Things have been very crazy lately. Before I tell you though, I have a question. What if you got the chance to re-raise me? Would you take? If I was turned into a baby again? If I told you it really happened would you believe me? Well I guess that's more than one huh?

There's nothing to worry about though, I promise. You remember my friend Zack? It was his fault. He found a materia and it was the legendary Youth materia.

The Youth materia changes the outer body to the form of a baby while the mind remains the same age. You're body slowly starts to age day by day though and it's not like normal aging. You age by years. The longer you have the materia effects on you the more you age. At one point I was aging three years a day.

Anyways, Zack had been sent out on a mission and too much was going on for me to fins time and write you back. Once Zack did get back we found a cure and now I'm the original me.

Don't get upset with Zack. He was trying really hard to get back here to Shin-Ra while on his mission. He told me he was always thinking about helping me. Besides, there aren't any side effects either.

"_What else should I put? Since I told her what happened there's gotta be more to include than this." Cloud said aloud to himself._

"_What the hell! When was this taken!" Zack yelled from the other side of the room._

"_Let me see." Cloud said with a sigh. Zack came over with a piece of photograph paper that had some of the images from his phone printed off. Zack said Cloud needed to send his mom a few pictures of himself as a baby to her._

_When Zack showed Cloud the picture he was freaking out about Cloud became confused over it too._

"_When was this taken?" Zack asked him._

"_It kinda looks like Kunsel's guest bedroom." Cloud said looking closer at the picture._

"_Hm? Hey, I guess it does." Zack agreed. "Wait that means that sneaky bastard took my phone again!"_

"_What's with you guys calling each other names?" Cloud asked him. "Besides you still have your phone we just printed those pictures from it."_

_Just then Zack's phone went off saying he had a new message. He opened it and read it._

_Hey, Zack I figured you just now found that picture I took of you and cloud from a couple days ago when you were back at my place. You're welcome._

"How the hell does he do that!" Zack exclaimed. He walked away from where Cloud was writing his letter and started talking to himself about how much of a stalker Kunsel was. **(1)**

"Have fun over there." Cloud mostly said to himself. He turned back to the letter and began writing again.

_Zack wants me to put some pictures in so you can see that this all really happened. Not that I don't think you won't! Zack just wants you to see how "cute" I was._

_Well I suppose that's all for me. How are you doing? I'd like to hear about your adventures too._

_Love,_

_Cloud_

"There." Cloud said sitting down his pencil. He held up the letter and reread it.

"Hey you're missing something!" Zack said from over Cloud's shoulder.

"What?"

Zack snatched the letter from cloud's hands and wrote something at the bottom.

"There you go!" Zack said with a smile.

_P.S. ZACK SAYS HI!_

"Zack you're such a nerd!" Cloud said laughing. "There's a huge difference between our handwriting!"

"Yup, that way she'll know it's true! Besides you love me and my nerdy ways." He ended the sentence with a kiss on Cloud's temple. "You should tell her about us too."

"M-maybe next time." Cloud said with a blush. He folded up the letter and put it in an envelope. He chose three pictures and put them in it too.

"Which ones you choose?" Zack asked from over the blonde's shoulder again.

"The one Kunsel took, the one with me and that doll of you from when this all began, aka the one you wanted me to choose, and the one Aerith sent you."

"The one with you looking at the flowers?"

"Yeah." Cloud finished sealing the letter and put the stamp and address on it.

"Finished!" Zack yelled. He grabbed the letter from Cloud's hands and ran towards the door. "Come on babe let's go!" Zack ran out the door leaving cloud to follow.

They ran down the hallway laughing. Sure they got a lot of stares but that wasn't really new to them. Maybe they were staring at Cloud more than anything. He seemed much happier than ever before and most people, if not all, knew him to be the silent blonde one who was always being "molested" by Zack. **(2)** Seeing him run down the hallway with a bright smile on was the last thing anyone ever expected to see.

When Zack reached the elevator Cloud was a few feet behind him. The last thing anyone on that floor saw was Cloud jumping into Zack's open arms then the elevator doors closing.

Zack stood their holding his favorite person in the world. The person he could call his boyfriend. The person he could shower with love and live with forever. He had never seen the blonde so happy before. Maybe it was because this whole situation had shown him that life can end sooner than we think. Whatever the reason, Zack knew one thing for sure.

_I want to see you smile like this forever more love._

**Author's Notes:**

**(1) **My friend and me make fun of Kunsel cause he sends Zack messages nonstop and takes up most of his inbox! XD. We have this thing, "Lock up ya Zacks, hide ya dumb apples and hide ya Hollander T-shirts cause Kunsel's rapen 'em all!" xDD. My friend call her Reno and they call me Cloud, J

**(2)** I'm known for the same thing at school. "The anti-social kid who get molested by Annamae." A lot of people know me as Jailbait too. Heh heh! ^^' Oh my friend Annamae illustrated a children's book called "Lisa B's Cookie Tree" Check it out sometime! She's really good at drawing!

So this is it my young, and maybe some older creepers out there, friends. I thank each and ever one of you for all you have done, including all the reviews and helpful things when my life was going down hill.

It still is really… Things have gotten a thousand times worse in all honesty. It's scary living my life at this point in time. Those of you who have parents out of work, can't afford food, bankruptcy stuff, **I'm with you all! I hope we all pull through this hell and make it! We can do this! I know it gets hard but it'll be okay! J **I also hope anyone else having a difficult time in life gets through it all the same!

I might get a job soon to help out my family so if I do updates might be slow… again. XD. But that probably won't be till next summer.

**Thanks:**

TO EVERYONE! THANK YOU FOR HELPING OUT THROUGH MY TOUGH TIMES, REVIEWING, FAVORITING, ALERTING, ALL THAT GOOD STUFF!

**I REALLY DO WISH THE BEST OF LUCK TO YOU ALL! THANKS AGAIN!**

**Page count: **2 xD dang that's terrible! Ha-ha!

**Extra:**

Cloud's mom opened her letter from her only and dearly loved son. She missed him so much and couldn't wait to read his letter. When she opened it she noticed there were pictures in the envelope. She saved the pictures for last and read the letter first.

"OH MY SHIVA!" She exclaimed. If Cloud didn't hear her all the way in Midgar that was probably because Zack was busy talking or doing… other things. Not that Cloud's mom knew about that yet…

"Miss Strife!" Tifa exclaimed as she hurried through the front door of the house. "Is everything okay?"

"Cloud's letter came," She said with disbelief.

"That's great!" Tifa said with a smile. She hurried over to were Miss Strife stood and carefully grabbed the letter from her.

"It's what's in the letter that surprises me."

Tifa read the letter the shook her head.

"He's joking." She said. "Wait, the pictures! They're in there right?" Tifa asked referring to the envelope the letter came in. Miss Strife took out the pictures and she and Tifa looked at them together.

"It really happened." Miss Strife muttered.

"Aw, he really is cute!" Tifa said with a smile. "Hey who's this?" She then asked pointing to a picture of a young Cloud sleeping next to an older teen with black hair.

"That's Zack," Miss Strife informed her. "He's the reason me poor baby was turned into a baby again!"

"P.S. Zack says hi!" Tifa read from the bottom of the letter.

"I don't care what he says! Not right now anyways!" Miss Strife exclaimed.

_Oh dear, look out Cloud, you might wanna leave Zack out of your letters for a while._


End file.
